


Love in a Time of Dodgeballs

by WinJennster



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bisexual Dean, Dean is out and proud, M/M, Oblivious Castiel, Single Parents, Teacher Castiel, Teacher Dean, also I hate tagging shit and you all should know that, also this fic is pure fluff, and would you look at this?, but when?, definitely sex en route, this shit is in Baltimore again, to slow burn or not to slow burn, well 99percent fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2017-06-07
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:12:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6574882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinJennster/pseuds/WinJennster
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean Winchester is a single dad and an elementary school music teacher that definitely gets around. He's been accused of sleeping his way through every teacher in his school. So when Cas Novak shows up as the new first grade teacher, Dean's definitely interested...but not like he normally is. Cas has a heart of gold and is one of the kindest, most gentle souls Dean's ever met. It doesn't hurt that he's drop dead gorgeous. Just - instead of picturing himself bedding the new guy, he finds himself making plans for picnics and daytrips and going to the movies. He's thinking about cooking together and picking out matching towels. For the first time ever, he's thinking beyond the one night stand and looking more at lifetime possibilities. </p><p>There's just one problem. </p><p>He hasn't let Cas in on his plans.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. August

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Powerfulweak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Powerfulweak/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Herein lies the fluff fic that I promised Powerfulweak to make up for years of angst delivered by yours truly. I hope you enjoy it!

Slapping blindly at the source of Robert Plant wailing  _ Whole Lotta Love _ , Dean Winchester groaned. Four a.m. was no kind of time for a man to be up, he thought grumpily, but if he was late, his mom would never let him hear the end of it. Rolling out of bed, he stumbled blindly for the bathroom, not really opening his eyes until he was finished showering. 

He grabbed his bakery whites, mentally resigning himself to a day of rolling pie crust under the watchful eye of one Mary Campbell-Harvelle. Just a few more weeks, and she’d be losing her favorite bakery slave when Dean went back to his day job. 

“Ben. C’mon, buddy, rise and shine.”

“Don’ wanna,” his son protested, rolling onto his belly and pulling a pillow over his head. 

“I know, I don’t want to either,” Dean told him, moving around his son’s room and gathering Ben’s things into a duffel. “You can lay back down at the bakery. C’mon man. Ellen’s taking you to Port Discovery today, did you forget?”

That did it. Ben flipped the covers back and sat up straight in bed. “I forgot! I hope Teddy didn’t forget!” He lunged out of his fire truck bed and started gathering stuffed animals. 

“He didn’t. Just talked to his mom last night.” The six year bounced up and down, singing at the top of his lungs and hurling stuffed critters at Dean. “Ok, ok, chill out little man. You’re not up for the day yet, ok? Back to sleep when we get to the bakery.”

Ben didn’t settle down at all, bouncing out to the Impala and singing  _ Carry On Wayward Son _ at the top of his lungs. 

“Look kid, while I’m proud that you have such good taste, the rest of the neighborhood is still sleeping, ok?”

Lapsing into the type of giggle fit that only kids his age seemed to be able to manage, Ben let Dean buckle him into his booster seat. He threw his Creeper plush at Dean’s head and yelled “BOOM!” so loud, Dean’s ears rang. 

“Little man, I am so glad you’re Ellen’s problem today,” Dean grinned, tossing the Creeper back at him. 

By the time they got to the bakery, less than ten minutes from Dean’s little row house, Ben was passed out cold and Dean had to carry him upstairs to the break room. He settled Ben on the couch and just kind of stood there and watched him sleep for a bit. 

“You ok, sweetie?” Mary laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Yeah. He’s just getting so big so fast, but sometimes, he’s still my little tiny guy. I know, I’m mushy.”

“You’re allowed. C’mon, pie dough is waiting for you.”

“Ugh.”

* * *

 

Dean grasped the ring on the green paper shade and pulled, letting the stupid thing flap, flap, flap open. 

“I bet $1!” Jo yelled from across the room. 

“I’ll take that bet!” Mary offered. 

“Nope. Not today.” Dean grinned as the flapping finished and the shade stayed put instead of falling off the door like it did most days. “I win! I am the shade master.”

“Whatever,” Jo grumbled, shoving past him with a tray of steaming cinnamon buns. “Just open already.”

Sticking his tongue out at her, he flipped on the neon open sign and unlocked the door. Their first customer bustled in a moment later, and the next two hours were controlled chaos as he and Mary served the customers while Jo and Aaron made the coffees. By seven, things had slowed a bit, and Dean was able to run upstairs and get Ben up. Ellen showed up at eight and gave Mary a kiss on the cheek, before scooping Ben up and heading off for the day. 

“Ugh, moms kissing,” Jo complained, nudging Dean. 

“Yeah, ew, gross.”

“Stick it, you two,” Mary said, utterly unperturbed. “I’m going in the back to help Benny with the pies. Mrs. Katsun will be by later and her order is on the shelf. Behave.”

Dean chuckled and grabbed a rag, wiping down the counters and straightening things as he went. 

“So two more weeks of Dean the Bakery Slave and then it’s back to school, huh?”

“Yup. Missed those kids, can’t wait to see them.”

“You need any help moving your stuff back?”

“Nah. I didn’t take much home this summer. Just a couple of guitars and my crate of records.”

“Does Ben know his teacher yet?” Jo popped open the top of the espresso machine to add more beans. 

“New teacher, Cassie Novak or something like that. Hope she’s cute,” Dean said with a grin.

“Haven’t you had enough teachers? Lisa, Anna, Nick - you’re sleeping your way through that school.”

“Shuddup,” Dean mumbled, cheeks flushing. “For the record, Anna and I went on one lousy date and there was no nudity involved; Lisa was utterly worth it because we got Ben and a fantastic friendship out of the deal. Nick though - yeah, there was a mistake. I’ll give you that one.”

“His loss,” Jo said easily, tossing Dean a rag. 

He caught it in midair and grinned. “Damn right, I’m a catch!”

“You keep telling yourself that, sweet cheeks.” Jo grinned as the door opened. “I know one new teacher you definitely won’t be sleeping with this year.” She winked and cocked a shoulder towards the newcomer. 

“Morning!” Sam called cheerfully. “Sorry I’m late. Jess had a rough morning. I thought the morning sickness thing was just the first trimester, but it’s like she never stops barfing,” he explained, as Dean rolled his eyes at Jo. Sam came around the counter and grabbed his apron, slipping it over his head. He looked at Jo and Dean. “What?”

“Oh nothing,” Jo smirked evilly, “I just told Dean there was at least one teacher he wouldn’t be sleeping with this year.”

“Wha - oh!” Sam guffawed, “yeah, definitely. Gross.”

“I hate both of you. And why’d you have to get hired at my school anyway, ya damn ‘squatch? Bad enough with Bobby and Ellen breathing down my neck all day.”

“Oh, good, Sam’s here,” Mary smiled, coming out from the back. “Off to the kitchen, pie boy,” she said, swatting Dean with a flour covered rag. “My arms are tired. Your turn.” Dean mumbled something about slave labor as he passed his mom. “Boy, I brought you into this world, and I can take you out. Watch it.”

* * *

 

Around noon, Dean was just putting out a fresh batch of French baguettes when sex on two legs walked through the front door. 

“Claire, would you like a cupcake or a donut?” 

That deep rumble of a voice made Dean feel weak in the knees. He’d always had a thing for men with deep voices. Looking up, he did a quick once over of the newcomer, taking in the sexy tousled mess of dark brown hair, strong arms and shoulders, trim waist, striking blue eyes - ok, maybe it wasn’t a quick once over after all. More like a full on stare. And that threadbare Led Zeppelin shirt definitely didn’t hurt. 

He floated on the man’s voice as he ordered his coffee, blushing furiously when the guy’s eyes met his for a long moment. 

“Dean! Move, I’m trying to work here!” Jo hip checked him out of the way. “Skim or 2%?” She asked blue eyes. 

“2% please. And a strawberry smoothie for my niece?”

“Sure! Coming right up.” Jo gathered ingredients while Dean slowly arranged bread in the case, side eying blue eyes the whole time. 

The little girl with him appeared to be about ten, maybe a fifth grader. She also appeared to be utterly bored with the bakery, looking disdainfully at the display Dean was stocking. 

“Claire? Cupcake or donut?”

“Cupcake,” Claire told him, voice flat. She looked up at Dean, who smiled encouragingly. 

“Which one?”

“The purple one.”

“Butterfly or Hello Kitty?”

“Hello Kitty, Mr. Winchester. Duh.” 

Dean looked up from the display to find Trixie O’Malley grinning at him. “Well, that’s for you. Not everyone is obsessed with Hello Kitty.”

Trixie put a hand on her hip. “They should be!” she shot back. 

“Hello Kitty is fine,” Claire told him. 

“Hi, I’m Trixie. Do you go to Norwood?”

“I will this year. We just moved here. I’m in Miss Braeden’s class.”

“Me too!” 

The girls devolved into the easy conversation of new best friends as Dean pulled out two Hello Kitty cupcakes (pink for Trixie) and put them on plates. Trixie took hers with a smile. “That’s Mr. Winchester. He’s the music teacher. His son and my little brother are best friends and they are so annoying!”

“Be nice,Trix,” a woman with pink and blue hair admonished. 

“Whoa.”

“Crazy hair is my mom. C’mon,” Trixie took Claire’s plate too, leading her to a table. 

“Hey, Kat,” Dean called, closing the case. “Who’s Teddy got for first grade?”

“New teacher? Cassie Novak?”

The blue eyed man choked on his coffee. 

“Hey, buddy, you ok?” Kat stepped up behind him and whacked him on the back. 

“I’m fine,” he wheezed. “But I’m not Cassie, I’m Castiel.” He smiled at Dean, “although I suppose I can understand the confusion.”

“So you’re the new first grade teacher?”

“Yes. And you’re the music teacher?”

“Uh, yeah,” Dean said, feeling a blush climb his neck. 

“We just moved here from Pontiac. I was glad to get the job, since I did apply fairly last minute.”

“Oh. How you like B-more so far?” Kat asked. 

“It’s busy,” Castiel smiled. “Not that Pontiac was pedantic, but Baltimore seems to move at quite the fast pace.” He fumbled for his wallet as Kat paid for her and Trixie’s goodies. “How much do I owe you?” he asked Dean. 

“On the house, man.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Professional courtesy.” 

Castiel smiled at him and the skin around his eyes crinkled.  _ Wow _ , Dean thought,  _ if giving you free coffee gets me that, what else can I give you free? _

“Thank you very much. I appreciate it.” He caught Dean’s eyes again and Dean felt like he was being sucked into the vortex of that blue eyed stare. Taking his order, he sat with Trixie and Claire, who Dean noticed was finally smiling. 

“Earth to Dean.” 

Looking up, he found both Kat and Jo grinning at him. 

“What?”

“Somebody’s got a crush,” Kat singsonged.

“Oh shut up. I was just being friendly.”

“Is that what we’re calling that now?” Jo snarked. 

“I hate both of you,” Dean groused.

* * *

 

Ellen brought both Teddy and Ben to the bakery just as they were closing for the day. They both had a cookie and then Dean loaded them in the Impala. The boys talked non-stop all the way back to Dean’s house, bouncing out of the car like they had springs for legs. 

“Holy shit, how much sugar did you give them?” Kat asked with wide eyes as Teddy grabbed her hands and spun her around the back yard. 

“Not my fault! Blame my stepmom!”

“Ugh. Go in the house, you crazy kid!” 

“GOODNIGHT BEN!” Teddy yelled before dashing up the stairs. 

Ben yelled his good nights as well, before stealing Dean’s keys to let himself into the house. 

“So, guess who’s moving van that is,” Kat grinned, gesturing towards the U-haul on the other side of Dean’s driveway. 

“Who?” Dean asked.

Just as he asked, a deep voice rumbled, “Hello, Dean,” behind him.

Kat winked. Dean glared at her before pasting on a pleasant smile. “Hey, Castiel,” he said. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Seems like a good neighborhood. Seeing as how Claire has already made a friend,” Castiel smiled at Kat. “She and Trixie are currently printing out Hello Kitty everything to hang up in Claire’s room.”

“Oh, dude,” Kat said, “better nip that in the bud now, or Trixie’ll have her covering every surface in your house.”

“Like you aren’t the same way with Star Wars and that paranormal show you like.”

“Shut up. This from the man that has a framed poster of half naked Robert Plant hanging over his bed.”

Dean felt his cheeks flush. 

“I love Robert Plant,” Castiel offered. His eyes swept along the Impala’s body. “This is yours, Dean?”

“Yup. My baby.”

“Speaking of which - Teddy in the house alone is a bad idea. See you guys later. Castiel, just send Trix home whenever.”

“Alright.”

Kat disappeared up the steps to her own house while Castiel continued inspecting the car.

“She really is quite lovely,” he smiled. 

“Thanks. What do you drive?” Dean asked, looking around for a set of wheels. 

“Uh, define drive,” Castiel said. “That Continental is mine, but she got here on a trailer behind the van. I’m hoping I can find a decent mechanic to get her back on the road. Really can’t afford a new car right now.” A gold Lincoln sat across from the house in the alley.

“Whoa - old school,” Dean smiled, “well lucky for you, you moved in next to a damn good mechanic. I’ll take a look at her tomorrow morning, since Mondays are my day off from the bakery.”

“That would be great. I have quite a lot of material to get to my classroom. I’ll pay for the parts and make you dinner or something.”

“You cook?”

“I’m decent.”

“Well, I’m easy.” Dean blushed, internally cursing himself for his bad choice of words. “I mean, easy to please - I’ll eat anything,” he amended. “I’m sure I can fix your car. Failing that, you can toss all your stuff in my wheels and we’ll get it up to school one way or the other. Not like you couldn’t carpool with me, right? We work in the same place and all.”

“Thank you, that’s very kind.”

“Uncle Cas, I’m hungry.” Claire stood on the back porch, hand on her hip. 

“I called for pizza. Should be here shortly.”

“OK. Can Trixie stay?”

“Sure,” Castiel smiled. Claire nodded and slammed the door.

“Uncle Cas, huh?”

“Uh, yeah. My brother -” Cas’s face clouded over. 

“Hey, say no more. But if you ever need help with navigating the pitfalls of parenting, you know I’m right next door - and Kat’s pretty cool, too.”

“You don’t even know me,” Castiel said softly. 

“Yeah, well that’s changing, isn’t it? And we have to work together, so might not be a bad idea to become friends, right?”

“Right.” Cas smiled, and Dean soaked it up like sunshine. “Thank you, Dean.”

“No problem, Cas,” Dean smiled back. Dean turned to go into the house.

“Dean? Can I ask you for something?”

“Sure.”

“I took the bus to the store today, which is how I ended up at your bakery. Anyway, we need groceries and there’s only so much you can carry home -”

“Say no more. I gotta hit the store myself tomorrow. I can try and figure out what’s up with your car and the we can get groceries and go to the parts store, ok?”

“Yes, thank you,” Cas beamed. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow,” Dean confirmed. He smiled as Cas let himself into the house. “Shit. Don’t get any ideas, Winchester. Be awkward as fuck.” He sighed. “And I’m talking to myself. Great.”

* * *

 

Castiel shut the door and leaned against it, sucking in a deep breath of air. He’d just made his first new friend in a new town and better yet - he smiled at the sound of girlish giggles - so had Claire. A knock on the front door signaled the arrival of pizza, and he crossed the kitchen floor to the living room. 

“Claire, Trixie, pizza’s here,” he called up the stairs, paying the young man. Thudding announced the girls’ presence as they ran down the stairs together. “I don’t have a table set up yet,” Cas explained to Trixie, “so it’s picnic style around here.”

“Ok,” she smiled, taking the boxes from Cas. 

“Get settled, I’ll get some sodas.” He pulled a few small bottles of Sprite from the fridge and went back to the living room. Claire was watching intently as Trixie tore one of the pizza box lids into four pieces. 

“There! Instant plates!” Trixie grinned, offering one to Claire. 

“That is very ingenious,” Cas said, taking one as well. “And no dishes to do afterwards.”

“Yup.” Everyone helped themselves to a slice. “So my friends Krissy and Alex are in our class this year too. I think they’ll like you a lot, since I like you a lot.”

Claire blushed, but Cas warmed at the happy smile she was trying to hide. “That’s cool.”

“And my birthday is November 1st. You can come! It’s going to be a sleepover and you can wear your Halloween costume since it’s on October 28th. I almost always have Halloween parties for my birthday.”

“My birthday is April 20th,” Claire told Trixie. “Uncle Cas, could I have a sleepover?”

“Sure, we can do that.”

Claire threw him a bright, beautiful smile, and it thrilled Cas to see it. It was a sadly rare expression on her. “Maybe Trixie could spend the night after we get your room completely unpacked.”

“That would be cool!” Claire exclaimed. 

The girls chattered excitedly about the prospect while Cas finished his pizza and cleaned up the mess. After, they said their goodnights and Cas stood on the back porch and watched as Trixie ran across Dean’s backyard to her own. 

“Can I paint my room purple?” Claire asked while she helped him tidy up. “Trixie has a pink room, but I like purple better.”

“I’ll check with the landlord. If they say no, we can buy purple fabric and hang it up. We’ll figure it out,” Cas said, tousling Claire’s hair. “We’ll find a way to purple up your room.”

“Thanks, Uncle Cas,” Claire said, hugging him tight around the waist. “I’m gonna go read.”

“Ok. Don’t forget to brush your teeth.” 

Claire nodded before letting go and tearing up the stairs. 

_ Not a bad day at all _ , Cas thought.  _ Maybe this will be a good thing after all. _

* * *

 

“Good news. It’s just a bad valve cover gasket and a bad serpentine. Both of which I can fix with my eyes closed, and probably less than thirty bucks in parts.”

“Thank god,” Cas breathed, leaning against the car. 

“Let me go get cleaned up and grab Ben and we can go to the store.”

“Just send ‘em over to my place,” Kat called, noisily dropping a bag in her garbage can. “I’d be damn grateful to have Ben and Claire to keep my two hellions out from under me.”

“Sounds good!” Dean told her. 

“I’m sure Claire would love to come hang out with Trixie.”

Both children were more than happy to go to Kat’s, and she promised to feed them lunch and told them to take their time, with a wink directed at Dean that made the other man blush. He fumbled with his keys, yanking the Impala’s door open once he managed to unlock her. 

Castiel settled in the spacious passenger seat and looked over at Dean, who’s cheeks were still dusted pink. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good. Just Kat and her unfunny jokes sometimes, I swear.” Dean started the Impala and she roared, the vibrations traveling through the seat and tickling Cas’s belly. “Let’s go get the stuff to fix your car and then I’m treating you to lunch before the store.”

“Dean, you’re fixing my car, let me treat you.”

“Nope!” Dean backed the car out the small driveway. “Welcome to the neighborhood, my treat. You, however, can cook me dinner.”

“I’m not sure where my pans are.”

“You can cook at my house, but it doesn’t have to be tonight.”

“No, that would be fine. I’ll cook at your house.” Cas looked over at Dean and frowned. He was bright pink... _ again _ .

* * *

 

“This is a nice place,” Cas smiled as the hostess at Squire’s led them to a table. “You come here often?”

“Yeah. It’s close to school and they have great pizza. Great everything, actually.”

They both made choices and ordered their meal, agreeing to split a large everything pizza between them. Dean ordered a plate of onion rings as well. They made small talk for a few minutes, until the waitress returned with the rings and their drinks. 

“How long have you been teaching?” Cas asked, biting into a crunchy ring.

“About six years. I started late. Wasn’t even sure I was going to go to college. My priority was seeing Sam through school first.”

“Sam?”

“My little brother. He’s four years younger. You’Il meet him. He’s the new gym teacher.” Dean made a face. 

“You don’t seem happy about that.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Just my godfather is the principal and my mom’s wife is the vice-principal. I don’t get away with much!” Dean chuckled. “How long have you been teaching?”

“Almost twenty years. It’s all I ever wanted to do. I love children, I love being around them. Watching them grow and develop personalities and hone their abilities. There’s something magical about that.”

“Hell, yeah,” Dean smiled. “What’s your house?” 

Cas froze with an onion ring halfway to his mouth, not sure he understood what Dean was asking. “Oh,” he said, realizing, “I thought I was a Hufflepuff. I feel like I should be a Hufflepuff, but Pottermore insists I’m a Gryffindor. You?”

“Total ‘puff,” Dean grinned. “Sammy’s a Ravenclaw. Ben is totally a Slytherin.”

“He’s only what, six?”

“Yeah, but trust me. Slytherin. His little buddy Teddy? Also a Slytherin.”

“I feel there’s a story behind all of this.”

“There is,” Dean grinned at the waitress as she brought their pizza but didn’t elaborate on the boy’s houses. “So there are so many people I’m looking forward to you meeting. Charlie Bradbury is our librarian slash tech guru. She’s one of my best friends. She’ll likely try and drag you into our LARP group. Gabriel Angeles is the art teacher. He’s nuts, but also one of my best friends. And you’ll probably love Anna Milton. She’s as sweet as they come, and she’s one of the Kindergarten teachers.”

“What about Claire’s teacher?”

“Oh, Lisa Braeden. Her kids love her. She’s tough, but fair, and she really cares about the students. She’s bendy,” Dean blushed a deep magenta. “Uh, I shouldn’t have said that. She teaches yoga part time and - never mind.”

“I sense there’s history there?”

“You sense right.” Dean finished his piece of pizza. “Anyway, let’s go grab groceries and get your car done. I can bust out my grill and we’ll do burgers for dinner.”

“I thought I was cooking.” 

“Make it up to me when you get settled in.”

Cas’s phone chimed. “Oh good, the landlord says we can paint as long as we put it back to white when we leave. Would you be willing to take me to a home improvement center before we get groceries? I just want to get some samples for Claire to look at.”

“Sure, there’s a Home Depot up on Dundalk Avenue.” Dean settled the bill and took the box of leftover pizza. “Claire’s lucky to have you.”

A slight stab of pain hit Cas’s chest, but he smiled. “I’m lucky to have her. I almost lost her, too. My brother and his wife passed away in a house fire nearly three years ago.”

“Oh, man, I’m so sorry. Claire almost didn’t get out?”

“No, it was very close. The firefighters just managed to get her out. We moved here because she needs a change of scenery. I’m hoping this will help cheer her up. Trixie is definitely helping. Claire had very few friends in Pontiac.”

“Yeah, Trixie’s a sweet kid. And she’ll get Claire hooked up with her other friends.” Dean unlocked the passenger door and scratched at his neck. “Y’know, if she ever needs anyone to talk to, I was four when my Dad died. He fell on a construction job. It was pretty sudden. One day I had a dad and the next I didn’t. So I’ve been there. I dunno. I’m just saying, maybe I can help.” He looked so unsure, like he’d overstepped his bounds. 

Cas silently thanked God for sending him to Baltimore, to all of these warm, wonderful people who seemed so ready to just let him and Claire into their lives. He reached out and rested his palm on Dean’s left shoulder. “Thank you, Dean,” he said earnestly. 

“No problem. Let’s go look at paint chips,” Dean smiled, face pink again. 

Cas was going to have to find out why Dean blushed so easily.

* * *

 

Summer drew to a close, and Cas saw a lot of Dean Winchester. He introduced Cas to Sam and his wife Jess, and Cas was sure he’d made another new friend. As the summer went on, he got to know everyone at the bakery pretty well. He and Claire spent a lot of time there. There was something about the place that was so warm and welcoming, and Cas enjoyed watching the staff horse around. Mary seemed to take a special interest in Claire, always having extra little things lying around for her. Dean told him she was practicing for her upcoming grandchild. 

Dean came over almost everyday after his duties at the bakery, helping Cas get things organized and put away. He helped Cas paint Claire's room a sweet, soft lilac, and Cas’s own room a soothing, Caribbean blue. He got the Lincoln running like a new car, helped Cas find a second hand lawnmower, and shared his recipe for melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies. 

Dean was the friend Cas had always wanted and never dreamt he’d have. They shared dinner more often than they didn’t, and as those last two weeks of August drew to a close, they exchanged house keys. 

“Just makes life easier,” Dean explained. “Just in case one of us has to work late or something, I dunno.”

“Makes sense to me,” Cas agreed, handing over his key. 

Claire was flourishing. Trixie introduced her to her other friends, Alex, Krissy, Kevin, and Jesse. Claire hit it off with all of them, and Cas stood in Dean’s yard grilling burgers and dogs while the kids played. “She’s so happy,” he told Dean. “This is a miracle.”

“She’s a sweet kid,” Kat said, sitting a tray of deviled eggs on the picnic table. “She fits right in.”

“I haven’t seen her smile this much in a long time.”

“That’s so awesome,” Dean smiled, tapping his beer against Cas’s. “To new friends.”

“To new friends.”

* * *

 

School opened for the teachers and Dean and Cas put all of Cas’s teaching materials in the Impala. Dean didn’t have much to go back; a crate of records, a few guitars, and a tube full of posters. 

“Man, I got some good ones this summer. Sammy surprised me with a trip to NYC to see  _ Hamilton _ . It’s so good!”

“I heard about that. It’s supposed to be good.”

“Oh man, it is. I’m looking forward to showing some of it to the kids, but it’s pretty explicit with the language so I gotta be careful. All I need is some third grader going home and telling his parents  _ Mr. Winchester taught me the f-bomb today!” _

Cas chuckled. “Yeah, I could see that being a problem.”

The drive to the school was short. It was less than a mile from the block on Holabird Avenue where his, Dean, and Kat’s little row houses sat. “I could walk here,” Cas mused.

“Yeah, sometimes, when Ben’s at his mom’s, I will walk here. But then I have to walk home in the evening, when I’m tired. So not often. I’m gonna go grab one of those big cart things so we can start hauling all your stuff in.”

“Alright.”

While Dean was gone, Cas started unloading boxes from the Impala’s cavernous trunk. 

“Well, that is Dean’s car, but you definitely aren’t Dean.”

Cas turned to find a redhead in a They Might Be Giants shirt staring at him, eyebrow raised. He set the crate he was holding on the ground and extended his hand. “Cas Novak, new first grade teacher. Dean’s getting a cart for all of this,” he gestured to his stack of crates and boxes. 

“Charlie Bradbury, librarian.” She smiled and shook his hand.

“Ah, yes, Dean has mentioned you.”

“Whatever it is, Dean started it!”

Cas frowned. “It was nothing bad,” he told her.

“Sorry, that was a reference to something.”

“I don’t understand that reference.”

“Never mind.”

“Hey Chuckles,” Dean greeted Charlie, wheeling a large cart out the front door of the school. “Help us get all this inside? B-t-dubs, this is Cas.”

“We met. And stop fucking calling me Chuckles. I hate that shit -  _ Deanna _ .”

“Ok, ok, c’mon. Bobby just said we’ve got a meeting in an hour, so let’s move it.”

With Charlie’s help, and Sam’s, who showed up shortly thereafter, it took less than ten minutes to get all of Cas’s things into his new classroom.

“You’re right across the hall from the music room!” Sam told him. 

“That’s convenient,” Dean grinned. “Will make things easier when I need help carrying a bunch of instruments in for the fifth graders. You live next door, and you work next door,” he tapped Cas’s shoulder with his own, “built in slave labor.”

_ “All staff please report to the cafeteria.” _

“C’mon, Cas. Time to meet the rest of the crew.”

Dean led their little group down the hall, pointing out other classrooms and telling Cas who taught in them, but Cas knew he wasn’t going to remember. Most of the teachers had cute little signs outside their door with their name and grade on them. He’d have to find a craft store and make himself one. 

“Lisa!” Dean pulled a pretty dark haired lady out of the crowd moving towards the cafeteria. “This is Cas. He’s Ben’s new teacher.”

“Oh, hi! Ben told me about you.” She made pleasant conversation with Cas as they settled in, Dean making so many introductions, Cas’s head spun. 

He sat at a tiny lunch table with Charlie, Sam, Dean, and Lisa, laughing as Sam tried to fit his over large frame into a seat made for small children. 

“Welcome back, folks,” a gray bearded man in a trucker hat welcomed them. “Most of y’all know me, but we’ve got some new staff this year. I’m Bobby Singer, principal of Norwood. This here’s Ellen Campbell-Harvelle, our VP.” 

She waved and smiled at them. “Hi folks. Glad to see all your shining faces. We’ve got some new staff this year. So please stand as I call your name. Vic Henrikson, fourth grade,” a handsome black man stood and waved; “Sarah Blake, third grade,” a dark haired lady who looked fresh out of student teaching bounced out of her seat and waved; “Sam Winchester, PE,” Sam pried himself out of his small seat and almost fell, making Dean giggle. Ellen shot him a look and he settled down. She continued, “Donna Hanscum, school nurse,” a cute blonde lady waved enthusiastically at them; “and Castiel Novak, first grade.” 

Cas stood and waved, not missing the way Dean was beaming at him. 

“We’ve also been assigned a Baltimore County Police liaison this year, as usual, but instead of Officer Fredericks, we’ve been assigned Officer Jody Mills. You’ll meet her later in the week.” Bobby continued reading his notes, filling the staff in on changes to the parking lot and traffic patterns. “Becky is passing out the assignments for arrival and dismissal duty. Obviously, if you’re a grade teacher, you won’t have one. These assignments are important and if you can’t make it for some reason, we need to know immediately. Nothing is more important that the safety of our students. Well, folks, that’s all I’ve got to say. Let’s make this another great year. Ellen?”

“I don’t have anything to add. New staff, if you’re unsure of anything, please check with me or a fellow teacher. Have a great year, guys!”

Cas looked down at the thick sheaf of papers. “Wow. This is a lot of stuff.”

“It’s all good, I’ll help you remember,” Dean smiled. “C’mon, let’s go unpack all that crap in your classroom.”

“What about your classroom?”

“Nah, it’ll take me ten minutes to do that stuff.”

Cas followed Dean out of the cafeteria, meeting new staff as he went. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, and there was Dean, making introductions and smiling at him. Cas knew he was going to be happy here. He knew Claire would be happy here.

He’d definitely made the right decision. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do not expect regular updates. I'm also knee deep in DCBB.


	2. September

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dean gets around. Just a reminder. ;)

Labor Day marked the end of the summer and also the night before school started. Dean invited Cas and Claire over to his mom and Ellen’s for a cookout. They had a great time, and then Dean drove them home in the Impala. He didn’t realize he was being quieter than normal until Cas spoke up.

“Are you alright?” 

“Yeah. Just thinking about tomorrow. Summer’s over, huh?”

“Are you not wanting to go back?”

“Nah, man, I love teaching. I dunno. Just summer is over and Ben’s at his mom’s. Just a little bit of a letdown, y’know? Like party’s over, time to work.” Dean wasn’t sure he had the right words to describe how he felt. 

Cas chuckled. “You worked all summer at the bakery. I’d hardly call that a vacation.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been doing that every summer since I was thirteen. Doesn’t even really feel like work anymore. Teaching is work.” Dean tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Not that I resent that, don’t get the wrong idea. I love teaching. Like I said, it’s just end of summer letdown. I’m good, I promise.”

“I believe you,” Cas smiled. “I have some leftover chili, would you like me to bring you some for lunch tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure that’d be great. I can whip us up some jalapeño cornbread to go with.”

“Perfect.”

Dean turned onto their street, parking the car in the alley behind their houses. 

“Oh my, Claire’s asleep,” Cas muttered, looking into the backseat. Claire was limp against the back door, arms wrapped tight around her grumpy cat. “She’s just this side of too heavy for me to carry up the stairs and damn near impossible to wake up.”

“Let her sleep in the car,” Dean grinned. 

“Oh, very funny.”

“Go on, go unlock and turn the lights on. I’ll get her.”

“You sure?” Cas looked wary.

“I’m sure. She’s a kid, how heavy can she be?”

“If you insist.” 

Cas pulled himself from the car, heading across the lawn to his own house, while Dean carefully unbuckled Claire. He lifted her from the car with ease, but by the time he got up the back porch stairs and into Cas’s kitchen, his arms were begging for mercy. Still, he didn’t say a thing, just followed Cas up the steps and into Claire’s lilac bedroom. 

“Here,” Cas said, pulling the sheets down. “Put her in bed, and I’ll get her changed in a bit.”

“Gotcha.” Dean gratefully laid her on the bed, rubbing his sore arms with his hands afterward. 

Cas cocked an eyebrow. “Told you.”

“Yeah, yeah, smartass. At least she’s in bed, right?”

“Right.”

“Kat offered to take her to school in the morning. I think she’d prefer that to being stuck there while I prepare for class. I usually get there at least an hour early.”

Dean followed him down the stairs. “Nervous about tomorrow?”

“Not even a little. Beer?”

“Sure.”

Pulling a couple Sam Adams from the fridge, Cas popped the lids and handed Dean one. “Let’s go sit outside.”

“Sounds good.” They settled beside each other on the top step of Cas’s porch. 

“To another successful year of school,” Cas toasted, tapping the neck of his bottle against Dean’s.

“Hear, hear. You’re really not nervous about tomorrow?”

“No. Should I be? Are you?”

“Yeah, man, I get the jitters every year the night before.”

“Why?”

Dean sipped his beer and through about it. “I dunno. Kinda dumb, I guess.”

“No,” Cas assured him, “it’s not. Everyone processes change differently.”

“Not really a change if I do it every year.”

“Sure it is. You work with your mother all summer, you’re not in charge. You go in and do what she asks and don’t have to think too much. At school, you’re in charge. You’ve got children to watch over and lessons to plan. It’s a change from the summer.”

“Great,” Dean groused. “Now I’m more nervous.”

Cas threw his head back and laughed heartily, and Dean tried not to stare at the beautiful, long column of his neck. “You’ll be ok. I’m right across the hall to hold your hand,” Cas chuckled. 

A rush of heat shot up Dean’s spine and gathered heavily in his belly. He coughed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, thanks Cas. That’s nice of you.”

“I do try,” Cas grinned. 

* * *

 

Dean left the cornbread to cool on the counter and wandered upstairs with a couple fingers of whiskey in a plastic tumbler. He stripped down to his boxers as he walked through his bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom, reaching down to open the taps on his big tub. It felt like a hot bath night, despite the fact that it was still sweltering and sticky outside. 

That’s what air conditioning was for. 

While the water ran, he went back into the bedroom and turned on his stereo. Dean flipped through albums until he found the one he wanted, dropping  _ Houses of the Holy _ onto the turntable.  _ The Song Remains the Same _ bounced off the walls of his bedroom as he walked back into the bathroom. He lit a few candles and dumped a capful of lavender bath oil into the water. 

Lowering himself into the hot water, he took a deep breath of fragrant steam and smiled. This was one of his favorite rituals, a treat for himself when Ben was at his mom’s. Lying back in the tub, he took a deep sip of his whiskey and closed his eyes. 

“This is the life,” he murmured. 

Dean floated on the sound of Led Zeppelin coming from the other room, and couldn’t help singing along with the next track. In his mind’s eye, he could see the notes, floating through the bathroom as Jimmy Page played them on his 12-string, rocking through the guitar solo on  _ The Rain Song.  _

_ “I've felt the coldness of my winter. I never thought it would ever go. I cursed the gloom that set upon us, 'pon us, 'pon us - but I know that I love you so. But I know that I love you so.”  _

Dean set the empty whiskey glass on the little stool next to the tub, sinking further into the water until it just covered his ears. He liked the way his voice sounded with his ears submerged. 

_ “These are the seasons of emotion and like the wind they rise and fall. This is the wonder of devotion - I see the torch we all must hold. This is the mystery of the quotient, quotient - Upon us all, upon us all a little rain must fall. It's just a little rain oh yeah.” _

Dean rode out the rest of the song, barely able to hear the lingering notes with his ears underwater. He ran a hand down his torso, not at all surprised that he was half-hard. Imagining Robert Plant sweaty and shirtless onstage always had that effect on him. 

As the lilting guitar notes of  _ Over The Hills and Far Away  _ began, Dean gave his cock a few experimental tugs, smiling as he hardened in his fist. He was a little bit buzzed, his body definitely interested in the attention he was giving it. A little bodywash made the experience that much more pleasant. Dean squirmed until he was only neck deep in the water, watching as his cock traveled in and out of the tight grip of his fist. He sighed happily and pulled up a favorite fantasy - Natasha Romanov and Dr. Sexy - and a hot burst of arousal exploded in his stomach. His other hand slid beneath his balls to toy with his hole. 

Dean’s breath quickened, as the heavy drum intro of _ The Crunge _ sounded from the other room. He matched his strokes to John Bonham’s rhythmic drumming, while in his fantasy, Dr. Sexy pounded him hard while Natasha rode his face. His dick pulsed out a thick glob of precome, and he couldn’t help the whimper that slipped from his mouth. Dean was close, so close. 

Natasha got off his face and disappeared and Dean’s brain decided to change Dr. Sexy to Cas - “Hello, Dean,” he rumbled, and that was it, Dean’s hips drove upward as his back arched, and he cried out Cas’s name, panting heavily as his dick pulsed all over his chest. 

“Fuck,” he whispered, shaking in the aftershocks. 

There was a slight crash on the other side of the wall, and Dean blushed, felt his cheeks turn bright red. Damn, but he hoped Cas hadn’t heard him. He didn’t think he’d been that loud - had he really called out Cas’s name?

“Fuck,” he muttered again, sitting up and washing the come from his stomach. Dean drained the tub and dried and dressed for bed. Despite being relaxed from his orgasm, worry about whether or not Cas had heard him kept him up for some time - not to mention, why the hell was he fantasizing about Cas in the first place?

* * *

 

“Good morning, Emily! Welcome back!” Dean closed the car door and waved to Emily’s mom. “Ready for school?”

“Yup! I get to choose an instrument this year. I think it’s gonna be a saxophone.”

“Right on!” Dean held up his hand and the fifth grader threw him a high five. “Lovin’ the Iron Man backpack, kid.”

“My dad said it was for boys and I kicked him.”

Dean hid a laugh. “Well, shouldn’t be kicking your dad, but yeah, Iron Man’s for everyone.”

“You’re so cool, Mr. Winchester.” She high fived him again and skipped off.

“All these kids love you, man,” Sam said, closing a car door and waving off another parent. “Like, they don’t even look at me.”

“Nah, after you have a few classes, they’ll love you too. Don’t worry, Sasquatch, you’re very lovable.”

Sam threw him a bitch face before turning it into a smile as another child exited a car. “Hey Teddy!” 

Teddy climbed out of Kat’s car and tackled Sam’s legs in a tiny bear hug. “Hi, Mr. Sam!”

“Ok, gotta call him Mr. Winchester when you’re at school, Teddy-bear,” Kat called pleasantly. 

Dean noticed her hair was purple and yellow. “Dude, Ravens colors?”

“Going to a game this weekend! C’mon girls, get out!” 

Trixie and Claire got out of the car, busy whispering to each other. Dean noticed their pink and black outfits coordinated, and he couldn’t help but smile. “Looking good, ladies.”

Trixie spun around, the skirt of her cute Hello Kitty dress flaring out as she twirled. “Do you like it? My daddy sent it.” She looked up at Dean and her expression made his heart break, her eyes searching his face for validation. 

He met eyes with Kat. “Look real pretty, Trixie-girl,” he told her seriously. 

She beamed and grabbed Claire’s hand. “Thanks!” Dragging Claire off towards the school, Trixie was all smiles. 

“Thanks, Dean,” Kat said softly. 

“No problem.” He shut the door and Kat drove off. 

“What was that all about?” Sam asked. 

“Kat’s ex was supposed to take the kids to Hershey Park this weekend and of course he bailed,  _ again _ .”

“Of course,” Sam said irritably. “So he sends her a dress to make up for it?”

“I guess.”

“Piece of shit,” Sam muttered under his breath, opening the door for another child. 

“You know Trix tried to set Kat and I up last year? Full on parent trap treatment.”

“Wow.” 

“Yeah. Hardest thing I ever had to do, sitting that little girl down and telling her I couldn’t be her dad. My heart hurts for those kids.”

“I feel ya,” Sam said, reaching for another car door.

“Who are you?” A little boy with brown hair stared up at Sam. 

“Carlos, this is Mr. Winchester, the new gym teacher,” Dean smiled down at the eight year old. 

“But  _ you’re _ Mr. Winchester!” Carlos protested. 

Sam chuckled. “I’m his little brother,” he smiled, pointing at Dean.

Eyes widening, Carlos looked at Dean, then at Sam, then back at Dean again. “Little brothers aren’t supposed to be bigger than you!” he told Dean indignantly. 

Sam was still laughing about it when they went back in the building.  

* * *

 

Dean stood out of sight of the first graders in Cas’s class. Just outside his classroom, there was a row of tiny lockers and above them, a line of windows. Dean was just tall enough to stand there and observe the class unseen. 

Ben had a pencil in hand and was painstakingly printing letters on a piece of paper while Cas moved around the classroom, stopping to assist each child. 

_ Damn, he looks good, _ Dean thought. Cas was wearing a white button down and a bright red tie, with crisp black slacks and a matching waistcoat. He looked entirely too nice to be teaching first grade. What if those pants got covered in glitter and stuff? And that waist coat was ridiculous - ridiculously hot. Dammit, Cas was sex on a stick. 

Dean looked down at his own plain blue polo and khakis combo. Maybe he should dress a little nicer, too.

“How’s he doing?” Startled, Dean flinched a bit. Lisa giggled. “Like shooting fish in a barrel.”

“You surprised me is all,” Dean protested quietly. “I was concentrating.”

“Oh, were you? First time for everything, I suppose.” She playfully punched his shoulder. 

“Excuse me, you two. You’re distracting my students.” Cas had his hands on his hips. “Ben would like to know why both his parents are hovering outside my door. I would also like to know.”

“Uh, sorry.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “Didn’t mean to bug you.”

“Claire’s doing great, by the way,” Lisa told him.

“Thank you,” Cas smiled. “I’m glad.” 

“Gotta go get my class from Gabe anyway. Talk later, fellas,” Lisa tossed them a wave as she walked back down the hallway. 

“Dean?”

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell me Lisa was Ben’s mom?”

Dean blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh - it just uh, it uh, it never came up?”

“Is that an answer or a question?”

“Uh -”

“You don’t have to hide anything from me. I won’t think less of you, but there was plenty of time to share that information before today. You did say it was complicated when I mentioned it seemed like there was a story there. It was just something of a surprise to pull his file and see both your names in there. Talk about complicated.” A loud set of giggles drifted out of the open door. “I’ve got to go. See you for lunch?”

“Yeah, Cas. And uh - for what it’s worth? I am sorry.” He offered Cas an apologetic smile.

“Not to worry, I still like you.” He winked at Dean and ducked back into the room. “Alright, class, I’m right here, let’s get back to work.”

Dean unglued his feet from the floor and wandered back to his own room. What was it about Cas Novak that set his cheeks on fire? 

The man was hot, that was a definite. Good with kids, another one of Dean’s kinks - if you could call that a kink. 

“Really shouldn’t call that a kink,” he muttered. Dean plopped into the chair behind his desk. He could still hear Cas’s rumbly voice from where he sat. “His voice is definitely a kink. So is that damn waistcoat,” he said to himself. Switching on the radio, he opened his lesson book and looked over his class roster for the day, trying his best to put Cas from his mind. 

He failed.

Oh well, he’d learn how eventually. Maybe. 

* * *

 

Ben was at his mom’s and Dean was in the tub again. Cas sighed. It’d been two weeks since the first time he’d heard the music and Dean’s intoxicating sounds coming from the other side of the wall. Apparently, the tub was Dean’s favorite place to masturbate and he didn’t seem to realize how thin the walls separating their two houses actually were. 

A gentle splash could be heard over Dean’s quiet singing. He had a very pretty voice and Cas enjoyed listening to him - which was the absolute only reason he was sitting in the empty bath, fully dressed, with his head against the wall. 

Two weeks since he’d first heard that barely whispered word from Dean’s lips, and now Castiel was beginning to wonder if he’d imagined Dean calling out his name. He’d been so startled, he’d dropped a bottle of shampoo, fleeing from the bathroom in a hot rush of guilt. Logically, he knew he had nothing to feel guilty about - it’s not like Cas had known Dean was in there enjoying himself. Well, he’d known Dean was in the tub, could hear him signing. That was the only reason he’d been lingering. At least, that’s what Castiel told himself, having no excuse as to why he’d continued to linger when the little whimpers and groans had made it quite clear what Dean was doing on the other side of the wall. 

And here he was again. No pretense this time, how could there be? He was fully dressed, sitting in an empty tub. 

_ “Here I go again on my own, goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known.” _

Dean’s pleasing tenor drifted through the inches of drywall and tile to Cas’s ears. He didn’t seem to be pleasuring himself tonight, and when water started to gurgle through the drain pipes, Cas decided it was time to get out of the bath.

He was downstairs digging through the fridge for a beer when there was a knock on the kitchen door. Dean stood on the other side, hair still damp and spiky. A battered black tee hugged his frame, paired with gym shorts that looked like they might fall apart at any moment. He smelled wonderful, like rosemary and sandalwood, and Cas had to resist taking a deep breath. 

“Friday night. Claire’s at Kat’s with Trixie, Ben is at Lisa’s. Wanna go out?”

“And do what?”

“I dunno. I was gonna go to bed early, but it’s not even ten and it’s Friday. I can’t be that old. Not yet.” He looked so annoyed at the very thought, Cas couldn’t help but laugh.  

“We could go see a late movie?”

“We could. I was thinking a super late dinner and some drinks?”

“There’s that.” Cas put his beer back in the fridge. “Do you ever go dancing? Is there anywhere to do that around here?”

“You dance?” Dean’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

“I don’t know if you’d call it dancing specifically. I can shake my hips and ass enough to look like I’m doing something.”

“Huh. Wouldn’t have guessed.” 

Cas cocked an eyebrow at Dean. “You think I’m too square to dance?”

Holding his hands up in surrender, Dean chuckled. “No, I didn’t say that. There’s a couple places downtown. What kind of music are you looking for?”

“I don't know. I’m going to be honest - I haven’t gone out like this in years.”

“Ok. I think I got a good place. Meet me at my baby in fifteen minutes. Dress kinda nice, but not like super nice.” Dean seemed to think for a minute. “That button down and waistcoat look you prefer is perfect.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise. Back in a minute.”

Dean vanished out Cas’s backdoor. Heading upstairs to dress, he wondered what kind of place Dean planned on taking him that had dancing but expected nice clothes. 

Cas pulled a black pinstriped waistcoat from his closet, along with the matching pants. On a whim, he grabbed a hot pink button down that still had tags on it. Admiring his appearance in the mirror, he decided to add his silver chained pocket watch and black patent dress shoes. 

“I look hot,” he told his reflection. Cas slapped at his hair, trying to convince the unruly mess to lay flat on his head, but it flat out refused. 

Sighing, he grabbed his wallet and keys and left the house. Dean was nowhere to be found, so he casually leaned against the passenger door of the Impala. Dean came out a few minutes later, in jeans so tight they could be second skin. He also was wearing a waistcoat. Dean’s vest was dark grey, which complemented the black of those fantastic jeans and his royal purple button down. He locked his door and turned around. Cas was surprised to see the jaunty silver bowtie that completed his look.

“Holy shit on a stick,” he said, eyes sweeping from Cas’s feet to his face. “You look amazing.” Dean bounced down the stairs and crossed the lawn, staring at Cas the whole time. “They’re gonna love you whether you can dance or not.”

“Thank you. You look very nice as well. Where are we going?”

“You know Benny at the bakery?”

“Yes.”

“His dad owns a Cajun style swing club. It’s awesome. Everyone dresses kinda rockabilly, vintage style. I think we look close enough.” He looked Cas over again while unlocking the car. “Damn, Cas. You look fucking hot.” Dean’s cheeks turned bright red. 

“You look good too, Dean.” 

“Thanks, Cas. Why are you all buttoned up though?” Reaching out, he undid three of Cas’s buttons. “There. That’s better.”

“Are you sure? That seems like a lot.”

Dean flushed again. “Yeah, I’m sure. Um, let’s go.”

“Alright.”

* * *

 

The place Dean took him was called The Crazy Cajun and it faced the water in Fells Point. Dean complained multiple times about the lack of parking. 

“Should've taken an Uber!” He groused, as yet another compact car stole the spot he'd been waiting for. They finally found a spot two blocks away which made Dean nervous. “I always do this,” he explained. “Come down to the city thinking I'm going to get a close spot and end up parking in Far, Far Away!”

“You made a Shrek joke. I don't think I can respect you anymore,” Cas deadpanned. 

“You recognized my Shrek joke.”

“Touche.”

“C’mon, let's go dance so I can stop worrying about my car.” Dean triple checked that the Impala was completely locked before leading Cas down the street. “You ever been to Fells before?”

“No. I haven’t really ventured around Baltimore much at all yet.”

Dean stopped dead in his tracks. “Really? You’ve been here almost two months, though!”

“I know. I just - I don’t like doing things alone.”

“Dude. I’m next door, just say the word. I’m always up for an adventure. Anyway,” he gestured to the street, “this is Broadway, one of the main drags through Fells Point. C’mon.” He led Cas down the street and out onto a long pier. “That’s the famous sugar plant,” he explained, pointing across the water where an enormous red neon sign read  _ Domino Sugar _ . “That’s a Baltimore landmark. And over there,” he turned to the left and pointed to a large brick building. “That’s the building they used for police headquarters on the show  _ Homicide _ .”

“Wow.” Cas took a moment to look out at the water and the reflection of the city lights. “It’s really beautiful here.”

“Man, I got so many places I’m going to have to take you now that I know you’ve been staying home all the time. Plus, we’re not far from Philly, NYC, DC - lots of weekend road trips we could take with the kiddles.”

“That would be wonderful.” He smiled at Dean, and met his eyes. 

To say sparks flew would be an understatement. Cas had definitely already noticed how attractive Dean was, but out there on the edge of the pier, with the city lights reflecting in his pretty eyes, it suddenly became that much more noticeable. Dean was one of the prettiest men he’d ever seen. 

Bummer he was obviously straight.

As though he could hear Cas’s thoughts, Dean blushed and looked away. “C’mon, let’s head over to Benny’s.”

* * *

 

The place was jumping when they walked in, and Cas was pleased to see several other men dressed as he and Dean were. He admired a bright yellow fedora one of the men was wearing, thinking maybe he’d have to get one if this became a thing. It seemed a lot of the men were wearing them. The ladies were a swirl of gorgeous, brightly colored vintage style cocktail dresses, and fantastic old school hairdos.  

“Benny plays a mix of Zydeco and swing. It’s kinda amazing. He’s got a house band that’s developed their own style and -”

“Brother, I am damn glad to see your bright shiny face up in here. How you doin’, Cas?” Benny shook hands with both of them before pulling Dean slightly off to the side. “I’m down a piano player.”

“Dude, I came to party, not work.”

“Oh c’mon, cher, I’m shit outta luck without a piano player. Charlie’s here, but you know she ain’t that good.”

“Hey! I heard that!” Charlie glared at Dean. She was dressed like they were, but her colors were much brighter - a royal blue pants and suspenders combo, and a bright lime green button down. All of her long, red hair had been worked into pin curls with a perfect victory wave in the front. 

“Your hair looks like Agent Carter’s,” Cas told her over the din. 

Charlie beamed. “I knew I liked you, Cas,” she told him. “Anyway, I can handle the piano, Benny!”

“But you’re better on the bass fiddle, darlin’.”

“It’s ok, I got this. But you keep my beer glass filled all night and make sure someone shows Cas a good time. Alright?”

“You got it!” Benny and Charlie made their way to the stage while Dean turned apologetic eyes to Cas. 

“Dude, I’m sorry. I had no idea -”

“Don’t be sorry. I’m looking forward to hearing you play. I didn’t know you could.”

“Cas, I’m a music teacher. I play like seven different instruments.”

A gorgeous dark haired lady in a skin tight red dress with a ruffled hem sidled up to them. “Hiya, Dean-o,” she smiled. 

Dean kissed her on the cheek. “Hiya, gorgeous. Cas, this is Meg. She’s one of Benny’s hostesses. Cas, can you be the DD? I know I invited you out and -”

“Happy to do it,” he said, taking Dean’s keys.

“Awesome. Wish me luck!”

“Benny sent me over here to show you a good time.” Meg put a hand on her hip and smiled up at him. “I think it might be you showing me a good time. What’s Cas short for?”

“Uh, Castiel,” he told her, as she linked her arm through his. He watched Dean head for the stage. “It’s an angel’s name.”

“Well, Clarence, aren’t you lucky? You’ve got me tonight, your own little demon. Let’s have a good time, honey.”

* * *

 

Meg was a fantastic dancer. She showed Cas a lot of new moves, wiggling through each number like she wasn’t precariously balanced on five inch heels. She was also a lot of fun, and kept Cas laughing throughout the evening. 

Dean was on fire. The more he drank, the more expressive he got, making faces and slamming his fingers down on the piano keys while he, Benny on the violin and vocals, Charlie on the bass, and a few other people Cas didn’t know, kept the crowd fired up and raucous. 

By the end of the night, Cas didn’t have much voice left, and he didn’t imagine Dean did either - but he was in for one more little surprise. 

“Alrigh’ ladies and gentlemen. Sure did enjoy havin’ you join us here at the Crazy Cajun. We’re gonna put this night to bed with the last dance of the evenin’, our famous Sweetheart Dance. Grab a partner and get to the floor, this here’s your last chance. Dean?” Benny turned to Dean and smiled. 

He played a short intro on the piano, and Benny joined in. Then, much to Cas’s surprise, Dean opened his mouth and started singing. 

_ “Stars shining bright above you, night breezes seem to whisper, ‘I love you’. Birds singing in the sycamore tree, ‘Dream a little dream of me’. Say ‘nighty-night’ and kiss me. Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me. While I'm alone and blue as can be, dream a little dream of me.” _

“God lord, I love his voice.”

“Mmmhmm, Dean’s quite the package isn’t he?” Meg smiled up at him as Cas twirled her around the dancefloor. “You like?”

“We’re friends,” he told her. 

“Oh. Well, sometimes friends don’t stay friends, know what I mean, Clarence?”

“I do. But we work together, and it could become awkward - besides, he’s straight.”

Meg laughed so loud people stopped dancing to stare at her. 

“What?”

“Straight? Dean Winchester, straight? A slut, yes, but not straight.”

“Don’t use that word.”

“What, it’s 2015. No shame in being a slut these days. Listen, Dean has slept with half the people in this bar, at his school - boy is a total slut.”

Cas frowned. “Did you -”

“Of course I did. He offered, I wasn’t going to pass. Have you seen him?”

“Who else?” Cas demanded. 

“Where do I start? Benny, Pam behind the bar, Aaron at his mom’s bakery, Gabe at the school  -”

“Charlie?”

“No, Charlie is a full-on lesbian. Only chicas for her.”

“Who else?”

Meg looked up at him and narrowed her dark eyes. “No. Uh uh. You want his full sexual history, you ask him. And stop with that look. You’re not dating. You don’t get to do the jealous boyfriend bullshit. Dean gets around. He has fun and he’s smart about it. Chillax, Clarence.” She spun on one elegant heel and stomped away as Dean and the band ended the song. 

“What was that about?” Dean materialized at his arm with a beer. He was flushed and his shirt was open down to mid chest, the silver bowtie untied and hanging limply around his neck. He looked debauched and gorgeous and Cas couldn't help but stare. “You proposition her and strike out?”

“Not exactly.”

“Ok. Well, I am extremely, extraordinarily drunk. I’m gonna give you directions to a twenty-four hour diner and we’re gonna get burgers. My treat, since I made a shit ton of tips. Then you’re gonna take me home and I’m not gettin’ up before noon tomorrow. Sound good?”

“I’m frankly surprised you were able to get all of that out of your mouth.”

Dean grinned, wavering a bit. He finished the rest of his beer. “Let’s go, hot stuff.” 

Halfway to the car, Dean stopped and turned back to Cas. “Are you mad at me?”

“What? No, why?”

“You’re all quiet and I’m really drunk and I promised you a good time and hoisted you off on Meg.”

“It’s ok, Dean. I enjoyed seeing you play.”

“One point durin’ that last song though - thought you were lookin’ a little pissed. And she was definitely pissed.”

“It’s nothing. Come on, let's go eat.”

“Alrigh’. You be good to my baby though.Treat her like a lady.” He hiccupped and giggled. 

“I will.”

All through their early morning burgers and on the way back to their houses, Cas thought about what Meg had said. He wondered if it really changed his opinion about Dean at all. So he slept around. A lot of people did. 

A snore sounded from the passenger seat. Dean was pressed against the glass, his mouth open. He looked silly...and adorable. 

Cas smiled. No, it didn’t really change anything at all. Dean was still as attractive to him as he’d ever been. 

  
  



	3. October

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm back! Gotta tell you, after so long I'm not sure if I even know what I'm doing anymore. I can't tell if this chapter is good or not. I dunno. I hope you enjoy it!

One Saturday morning in mid-October, Dean woke to a cloudless blue sky and decided it was a good day for a road trip. 

“Ben! Up and at ‘em, son, we’re hitting the road!”

Ben bounced out of bed, eyes wide. “Can Teddy come?”

“Sure! I’m gonna see if Cas and Claire want to come, too. So we might as well invite Trixie, right?”

“Yeah. Trixie and Claire is best friends,” Ben told him seriously.

“ _ Are _ best friends,” Dean corrected gently. “Get some clothes on. We’ll go see Cas first.” Five minutes later, they were knocking on Cas’s door. 

“Dean Winchester, it’s barely seven in the morning and I haven’t had coffee yet.” Cas’s grey tee was rumpled and appeared to be on backwards, and the dark blue boxers he was wearing were alarmingly threadbare. He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked one eyebrow irritably. “What could you possibly want this early?”

“Get dressed. We’re going on a road trip! I’ll get you coffee at the bakery, ok? Get Claire up and ready. Me and the little dude are gonna get Trix and Teddy, and then we’re out!”

Cas glared at him. “And if I don’t want to go?”

Dean blinked. “Uhhh -”

“I’m kidding. But I’m holding you to the coffee. Give us fifteen minutes and we’ll be ready.”

“Awesome!”

“Yay!” Ben added. “Let’s go get Teddy!” He barreled down Cas’s steps and across the yard to Kat’s place.

“Are we prepared for four children?” Cas asked, an eyebrow cocked questioningly. 

“We’re teachers, man. We got this!”

* * *

 

Kat was more than happy to surrender her children to Dean and Cas, but made Dean take $40 for the kids’ lunches and snacks. Dean stuck it in an empty cookie jar on top of his fridge. No way was he going to take her money with all the times she watched Ben for free. He’d find a way to give it back to her. 

“Ok, I’ve got three seat belts in the front, three in the back. Anyone willing to volunteer to sit between me and Cas?”

“I will!” Ben and Teddy yelled in unison. The girls looked disdainful.

“Flip a coin?” Cas asked. 

“Yeah.”

“Heads or tails, guys?”

“Heads!” Both boys said.

“Oh brother,” Trixie muttered.

Dean looked over at Cas, who was unsuccessfully hiding a laugh. “Ok, Teddy gets heads, Ben gets tails. Whoever wins gets first shift up front. Ok?” Dean tossed the quarter and caught it on the back of his hand. “Heads! Teddy, you get first shift. Everyone load up!”

Cas busied himself with setting up Teddy’s booster seat in the front, while Dean buckled Ben into his booster in the back. Within minutes, they were ready to roll. 

The Impala started with a roar, and after a quick trip to Mary’s Bakery for coffee and donuts, they were on the road. Dean switched on the radio, tuning it to 100.7. George Thorogood blasted out of the speakers, asking the occupants of the car  _ Who Do You Love? _ Dean tapped out the beat on the door of his Baby, contentment in his bones as he opened her up on the highway. The engine roared as he put the pedal down, loving the stares from admiring fans as she passed. 

His girl was gorgeous and he knew it. He lovingly ran a hand down the door panel.

“So where are we heading? Or did you need a few more moments with your car?” Cas asked drily, a smirk on his face. 

“Shut up,” Dean grinned back. 

_ We Will Rock You _ was the next song up, and all of them tapped along with the boom boom clap rhythm. 

“So the winter concert is Christmas themed, but for the spring concert, I always choose a rock band and do a bunch of their songs. Last year we did Zep -”

“It was so cool!” Trixie said.

“Yeah, it was. This year, we’re doing Queen. I’m psyched. Also, there’s a thing around February that is a bunch of music teachers from across the county. It's to raise money for Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital. We take turns choosing the music and it’s my year. I think we’re going to do  _ Tommy _ . Like the whole thing. They’ll kill me but it’ll be so worth it.”

“Sounds great,” Cas said. “You never told me where we’re going.”

“That’s ‘cause I don’t know. Tell you when we get there.”

“Alright.”

“ _ We are the champions _ ,” Dean sang, “ _ No time for losers, ‘cause we are the champions, of the world. _ ” Everyone else joined in. Dean was very pleased they all knew the words. “ _ We are the champions, my friends. And we’ll keep on fighting ‘til the end. We are the champions, we are the champions. No time for losers, ‘cause we are the champions… _ ”

Dean took the exit for 795 towards Westminster, already deciding they were likely going to end up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was a perfect, pleasant day to visit the Civil War battlegrounds. The kids might learn something, and he thought Cas would probably enjoy the history of the place.

Expressways turned into smaller roads and Cas watched the world outside the car go by, dark sunglasses and a content expression on his face. “Pretty out here,” he said. 

“We’re heading up into Pennsylvania. Thought it might be a good day to do Gettysburg.”

“That’s a great idea!” Cas enthused. “I’ve never been there, obviously. Plus it’ll be a good learning experience.”

The girls in the back groaned in stereo.

“Oh come on,” Dean said. “Trixie’s been there before and loved it.”

“Life with teachers,” Claire muttered. “Constant learning.”

“You’re just mad I made you leave your tablet home,” Cas said. 

“My mom made me leave mine home, too. What are we supposed to do all day?” Trixie groused. 

“Uh, I dunno, have fun?”

“At an old battlefield. So much fun.”

“Trixie, your sarcasm knows no bounds.”

She huffed and glared at Dean in the rear view as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Mommy said be nice, Trixie.”

“Ugh, shut up, Teddy!”

“We don’t use shut up. That’s not an acceptable term at school, it’s not an acceptable term at home,” Cas told her gently. 

“Well I guess I should have stayed home!” Trixie yelled.

Dean signaled and pulled into a 7-11 parking lot. He shut off the car and unbuckled. “C’mon, Trix. Let’s go in and get waters for everyone.”

“I don’t want to.” She had her arms crossed over her chest and a dark expression on her face. 

“Not giving you a choice. C’mon.”

Huffing loudly, she got out, slamming the Impala’s door behind her. Dean did his best not to wince. “Be right back,” he told Cas. 

“Good luck.”

He smiled grimly before following Trixie into the store. She was standing back by the water display and Dean could tell by the way her shoulders were shaking that she was crying. 

“You wanna talk about it?”

Trixie shook her head, but wrapped her arms around Dean’s waist. Little breathy sobs were the only sound she made. “Sorry,” she whispered. 

“Nothing to be sorry for. I know things have been tough.”

Tipping back her head to stare up at Dean, her hazel eyes were red and wet. “Why doesn’t Daddy love me?” she asked miserably. 

“Oh sweetheart.” Dean dropped to one knee to get closer to her level. “He does love you. He does, I swear. But he’s mixed up right now and doesn’t know how to deal with himself. That’s not your fault, and it shouldn’t be your problem like it is.” 

Trixie tipped forward into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish you were my dad.”

Dean blinked the sting of tears out of his own eyes. “I know you do. But I can’t be that for you. I will always be your friend, and I’ll always be here for you as long as I am physically able. I  _ can _ promise that. And I tell you what, Trixie-girl, I’d be proud as hell if you were my daughter.” He held her close, rubbing his hand up and down her back. “Can we maybe try to have a little fun today?”

“Yeah,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

“It really is ok. Sometimes, we just get so angry we don’t know where to put it.”

“I shouldn’t have yelled.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. But I understand why you did, and I accept your apology. Ok?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Let’s grab some water and get back on the road, alright?”

“Ok.”

A much more subdued Trixie helped Dean distribute water bottles back at the car and by the time they stopped for lunch, she was smiling and holding hands with Claire. She and Claire claimed a table for themselves at McDonalds, and Cas, Dean, and the boys shared another. Burgers, fries, and chicken nuggets were distributed amongst the six of them, and happy chatter surrounded their little group. 

“This was a good idea,” Cas smiled, “I’m glad you invited us. All I had planned for the day was laundry and lesson plans.”

“Boring.”

“Definitely.”

Trixie’s mood had improved; she was busy talking Claire’s ear off about her upcoming Halloween birthday slumber party. 

“Is she ok?” Cas asked quietly. 

“Tell you later.”

Cas nodded. 

* * *

 

After lunch, Dean drove them out to the battlefield. He parked at the base of Little Round Top, in the Devil’s Den area. The kids were thrilled to be cut loose to run and climb over the rocks. Dean and Cas settled on a large, overhanging rock to watch the kids play. 

“So Trixie’s dad?” Cas asked quietly. 

“Yeah,” Dean ran a hand over his face. “He’s fucked up, Cas. Like - he left Kat the day he got home from his last deployment. He’s a Marine. Came home messed up, but with a new girlfriend. Girlfriend has kids. Doug is good to his girlfriend’s kids, but seems to have forgotten his own. At least the Corps makes him pay support, otherwise he probably wouldn’t even do that.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah. Anyway, he makes plans with Trixie and Teddy and then blows them off. The week before school, he promised and promised he would come and take them to Hershey Park, but he never showed. Two days later, Kat gets a box with a dress for Trixie and a stuffed dog for Teddy.”

“Wow. What a deadbeat.”

“To make matters worse, last summer, Trixie decided I should be her new dad. She and her friend, Krissy, tried to full on parent trap me and Kat. And see, the thing is, Kat and I sorta had a little thing when she first moved in. We hit it off, slept together once - but that was it, y’know? Better as friends kinda deal. ‘Sides,” he chuckled, “it was a total rebound kind of thing for Kat and I think she might regret it. I dunno.”

“Gotcha.”

“But Teddy and Ben became best friends. Like, they’re inseparable. So Trix decided I’d be a good dad for both of them.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah,” Dean scratched the back of his neck. “I hated telling her I couldn’t be that for her.” He watched Trixie chase after Claire, both girls laughing. “She’s such a sweet kid. He’s really missing out, the ass.”

“He really is. Trixie has changed Claire’s life for the better. She didn’t really have any friends in Pontiac - neither did I, for that matter. I didn’t need them. I had Jimmy and Amelia. Losing them…” Cas trailed off. “It hurt so badly, I thought I was never going to recover. Jimmy was my twin. He was so important to me. When he died, I felt like part of me died with him. I still - I miss him so much.To this day, I think of things I want to tell him and occasionally pickup the phone to call before I remember. It still hurts so much.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Cas,” Dean said softly, reaching over to squeeze his friend’s shoulder. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Sam.”

“I hope you never have to find out.”

“Me, too. I really am sorry you had to go through all that.”

“Thank you, Dean. I appreciate it.” Cas’s pained expression broke Dean’s heart. They stared at each other for a moment, silent, before Cas seemed to shake himself and look away. “Anyway - my point being that coming here, to Baltimore, was a miracle. It’s changed our lives for the better.”

“I’m glad you’re here. Shit,” Dean scratched his neck. “You’re my best friend, Cas.”

Dean melted a little when Cas tossed him a beautiful, gummy grin. “You’re mine, too. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for welcoming me into the neighborhood and your life the way you did. I was so apprehensive about moving out here, but from that first day, you made me realize I’d made the right choice. I don’t think you’ll ever understand what you and your family mean to me.”

“Wow - I mean - wow,” Dean stammered. “I was just trying to help and stuff.”

“And you did. Believe me, you did.”

“Uncle Cas, come see this thing we found! It’s cool and Ben thinks it’s a bomb!” Claire waved excitedly from below them. 

“Coming!” Cas called, sliding off the rock and carefully climbing down to the where the kids were clustered. 

Dean watched him go, sitting on the rock alone and trying to calm his frantically beating heart. He was terrified that if he examined what he was feeling too closely, it would flutter away from him, or worse, turn on him. 

_ Shit.  _

Cas was his best friend. More like a brother? A brother, yeah, that’s what Cas was. Simple as that.

Dean crossed his arms over his chest, resolved in his thinking. 

Turning to look up at him, Cas’s eyes were sparkling as he cast that sweet smile Dean’s way. His heart skipped several beats as he smiled back, utterly undone by Cas’s perfect face. He wondered if Cas had half an idea how gorgeous he was. 

“Oh god, I am so fucked,” Dean muttered. 

* * *

 

“Hey! I made you lunch, well, I brought you some of last night’s dinner -” Dean trailed off. “Uh, hi Hannah.”

Hannah Jackson smiled. “Hi, Dean. How’s your day going?”

“Pretty good. Am I interrupting?”

“No, we’re done, right, Cas?”

“Yes. Thank you. I really appreciate you talking to Claire. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I’m getting through.”

“I understand. It’s my job, after all.” Hannah stood and squeezed Cas’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later. Have a good one, Dean.”

“You too.” 

He watched her walk out of Cas’s room, feeling oddly unsettled. He had no reason to believe she was there for any reason other than Claire - Hannah was the school counselor, after all. 

“What’s up, Dean?”

“Oh. I brought lunch.” He held up the insulated bag.

Cas dropped his pen on his desk. “The brisket?”

“Yup. And the potato salad you left at my place.”

“You’re a truly good friend, Dean,” Cas smiled, reaching for the bag. “That was delicious brisket, and we had such a bad morning, I forgot to pack lunch. I was going to brave the cafeteria.”

“Ew. What happened?” Dean settled into the chair Hannah had just vacated with his own lunch.

“Claire had a bit of a meltdown this morning. That’s why Hannah was in here. I couldn’t seem to ascertain the issue, so I sent in reinforcements. If Hannah hadn’t gotten through to her, you were the next trick up my sleeve.”

“Really?”

“Yes. She likes you.” Cas forked some of the meat into his mouth. “Fuck, that’s good,” he mumbled. 

“Glad you’re enjoying it. So what’s up with Claire?”

“Missing her mom and dad and not handling it well. Didn’t want to talk to me about it, but it set off a crying jag this morning. We got to school late and she had trouble settling down, so Hannah came and got her. She’s just really missing them.” Cas sighed and stabbed at his potato salad. “I often feel inadequate.”

“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” Dean said earnestly. “You’re raising her as best you can. Look at it this way - moving here worked out. Not only does she have a good friend, she’s got me, and my whole family. I know my mom already considers Claire as good as a granddaughter. You’re doing a great job. Parenthood’s a struggle on the best days, and way harder when you’re doing it alone. You were dropped into the deep end with no warning. I had nine months to get ready for Ben!”

Cas gave Dean a wobbly smile. “You’re so good to me.”

Dean’s cheeks flamed. “Nah, just being a friend.”

“Best damn friend I ever had.”

* * *

 

October seemed to slip away from Cas in a matter of seconds. After Gettysburg, the following weekend found Dean and Cas in Washington DC. Ben was at his mom’s and Kat had invited Claire to spend the day, so it was just the two of them. Dean took him to the Smithsonian. They spent a day in the Natural and American History Museums, and not for the first time, Cas realized that Dean would have made one hell of a history teacher if he hadn’t chosen music. History seemed to be one of Dean’s passions.

They stopped for dinner just outside of DC, finding a little diner that sold incredible cheeseburgers. Dean complained of being tired at that point and surprised Cas, handing over the keys to the Impala and asking him to drive home. He fell asleep within minutes of Cas taking the wheel, and he couldn’t help glancing over to smile at Dean, with his face pressed against the passenger side window. He wondered if Dean would be mad at himself for getting drool on his beloved car. 

A big Ford truck cut in front of him abruptly and Cas swerved, doing his best to avoid the truck’s tailgate while keeping the Impala from spinning out of control. His hands tightened on the steering wheel as he pulled back into his lane, cursing under his breath at the driver of the Ford. 

Somehow, during all of that, Dean had come unglued from the window and toppled into Cas’s lap, head resting on Cas’s right thigh. He sighed happily and snuggled in a bit more. 

“Oh my,” Cas murmured, glancing down. He smiled indulgently at his friend, right hand dropping from the steering wheel to card through the gelled spikes of Dean’s hair. Dean let out a happy little sigh, nuzzling his face into Cas’s leg. Dean stayed there the rest of the trip home, waking when Cas shut the engine off. 

“We’re home?” he asked groggily. 

“Yes.”

Dean seemed to realize was laying on Cas’s leg and sat up abruptly, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks flushed. “Shit. Man, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you wake me?”

“I didn’t really mind.”

“I must be pretty comfortable with you driving. This is twice now I’ve passed out with you at the wheel. I don’t fall asleep in the car much to begin with and it’s damn rare for me to let someone else drive at all. ”

“Maybe because I have a big car? You know your baby is safe with me,” Cas said with a wink. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Dean stretched. “Whatcha doin’ tomorrow?”

“Lesson plans. The ones I should have done today.”

“Oh come on. Like the museums weren’t way cooler? Didn’t I broaden your mind with the sight of Julia Child’s kitchen and the desk where Lee and Grant signed the surrender papers, not to mention the Hope diamond?”

“I admit, it was quite an enjoyable day.”

“Next time, we’ll go out to Dulles and hit Air and Space. It’s amazing. There’s also the American Indian museum that’s cool. Lots of stuff about Eskimos and Native Americans. And the Holocaust Museum, but wow, that place is heartbreaking. I’ve been there three times and cried every single time.”

“Sounds interesting. I’m in.” Cas pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to Dean. “How come you didn’t become a history teacher, Dean? You seem to have a love for it.”

“Nah,” Dean opened the door. “Was never smart enough to teach something like that.” He got out of the car and shut the door. 

Cas pushed open his door and got out. “I disagree,” he said as he shut his door. “I don’t think I would have enjoyed that trip half as much without my own personal tour guide.”

“Yeah, I don’t know. I just don’t think - it’s a lot easier to make lessons for music and not have to grade essays and stuff. Not to mention, teaching history would mean teenagers and I kinda like ‘em a bit better when they’re little.”

“I hear that. Still, you’d’ve been good at it.”

“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence anyway.”

They stood in the little spot of grass between their back porches. “So, uh, thanks for coming today. It was fun.”

“Yes, it was. I had a great time.” Cas smiled at Dean and Dean smiled back. “It’s nice out here,” Cas murmured, still staring at Dean.

“Yeah. It’s a good time of year for Baltimore. Not so much heat, not too humid.” Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “So I was thinking, next weekend is like the last weekend Hershey Park is open. We should take the kids. Give Kat a day off.”

“Especially since Doug promised to take Trixie and Teddy and didn’t deliver. They do deserve the trip up there, I think.”

“Yeah. Whatta douchebag.”

Cas nodded. “Alright, I’m going to head in. See you tomorrow?”

“Yup. Night, Cas.” Dean lifted both arms as if to hug Cas, but seemed to chicken out, patting his arm awkwardly. “Yup, goodnight!” he said loudly, before spinning on one heel and dashing up his steps. 

“Goodnight, Dean,” Cas called after him, watching as Dean let himself into the house and all but slammed the door. “Well. That was weird.” Cas climbed the steps to his own house, flipping on the kitchen light as he closed the door behind him. 

* * *

 

The following morning, Cas found Dean on a ladder, stringing orange and purple Christmas lights along his gutters. 

“Little early for Christmas, isn’t it?”

Dean startled but turned his best, bright grin towards Cas. “It’s Halloween in three weeks! These are Halloween lights, silly. I got plenty. Should do your house, too.”

“Alright.” Cas looked over to see Kat doing much the same, and he waved. She smiled brightly and waved back. “I seem to be the only one without decorations,” he said ruefully. “This is the first time I’ve rented a house instead of an apartment.”

“Yeah?” Dean asked, climbing down from the ladder. “Do you like it better?”

“I like the bigger kitchen, the yard, and having a basement. I like not having to go to a laundromat. And I definitely light the neighbors.”

“Awesome.” Dean reached down into a large plastic tote. “Start popping these in the ground,” he said, handing Cas a foam tombstone. “There’s a bunch of ‘em in here and in those totes on the porch. Should have enough to make a decent little graveyard between our two houses. I’m going to keep putting up the lights. You’re cool with me putting them on your porch rails? Since you don’t have a roof.”

Cas looked at Dean’s house. There was a nice porch roof covering the deck that ran from the front door around the side of the house to the back porch. Neither he or Kat had a front porch. Dean’s front yard was neatly arranged, with trimmed shrubs lining the front porch and yellow and maroon mums in terra cotta planters on the steps. 

“Why does your house look so nice?” Cas asked. 

“You think it looks nice?”

“Yeah. Your house looks like a home, mine and Kat’s look like rentals.”

“Oh. Well I own mine. I bought it when Lisa told me she was pregnant, thinking her and I could fix it up and stuff. Ended up fixing it up on my own, though,” Dean said softly. “Lisa decided pretty quick I wasn’t relationship material.” Dean moved the ladder down a little bit before climbing back up, fresh strand of lights in hand. “Thought I might fix it up and flip it, but I can’t really afford it.”

“I should ask my landlord if I can make the garden a little prettier.”

“Yeah, you should, I’ll help you. Now,” Dean grinned, “make that graveyard!”

* * *

 

Cas and Dean spent the afternoon making their yards good and spooky while the kids ran and played. Later that evening, Dean invited Sam and Jess over for burgers on the grill, extending the invitation to Cas as well. 

Afterwards, Cas and Claire helped clean up before heading inside. “All your homework is done?” Cas asked. 

“Yup.”

“Alright. Did you pick out clothes for tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I need new socks and my sneakers are getting tight.” Claire fiddled with the zipper on her backpack. “Is there anyway I could get Vans this time instead of Walmart shoes? I know they’re expensive…” she trailed off. 

“I will do my best, sweetheart. Let me see what the budget looks like, ok?”

“Ok. Also, Miss Kat told me Trixie’s party is Friday the 28th. It’s a Halloween party. I need a costume and a present.”

“Alright, we’ll figure all of that out. Go on and get your shower and get ready for bed.” 

“Ok, Uncle Cas.” Claire disappeared up the stairs and Cas waited until he heard the shower running to drop into a chair and rest his head in his hands. 

“There is never enough money,” he muttered. Reaching across the table, he pulled his budget binder closer, paging through and making calculations in his head. He’d probably be able to get Claire her Vans, but would likely have to tell Dean Hershey Park was a no-go.

Sighing, he closed the binder and walked back out to the kitchen. He ran hot water into the sink and added detergent, washing and drying their few dirty dishes. When the kitchen was clean to his liking, Cas shut off the lights, double checked the locks, and headed upstairs.

Claire was sitting up in her bed, reading the latest  _ Warriors _ book she’d gotten at the library. Her blonde hair was still damp and tumbling around her shoulders. Claire didn’t notice him standing there, smiling at her expression of deep concentration. With her hair down like that, she looked just like Amelia - but that face was all Jimmy. 

Cas’s heart clenched. God, he missed them both so much. 

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” he said softly. 

Claire looked up and smiled. “‘Night, Uncle Cas. I love you.”

He crossed the room in long strides and kissed the top of her head. “Love you, too. Don’t stay up and read too late.”

“I won’t.”

In the safety of his own room, Cas sat on the edge of his mattress and buried his face in his hands. It was hard to believe it had already been three years since he’d lost Jimmy and Amelia, because it still felt like yesterday. 

“I hope I’m doing right by you,” he whispered. “She’s sweet, beautiful, and kind. I hope you’re proud of her. I know I am.” 

Cas sat on the edge of his bed a little longer, finally rousing himself. He took a short shower and laid out an outfit for morning, crawling into bed not long after. 

It was a long time before he fell asleep.

* * *

 

The next morning, Cas was dragging. He was off all morning, always seeming to be a step behind his students and they noticed. Children who normally didn’t have behavior issues seemed to be out of sorts, and the kids who did have problems were worse than normal. By lunchtime, Cas felt an instant away from having a breakdown. 

He led his little ones to the cafeteria and the care of the cafeteria staff. Back in his own room, he shut off the lights, set an alarm and folded his arms over the desk, dropping his head onto his makeshift pillow and closing his eyes. 

Not two seconds later, someone opened his door. “I’ve got lunch,” Dean whispered, “but I can make myself scarce, too.”

“No,” Cas groaned. “I need to eat.”

Dean left the lights off but settled in the chair next to Cas’s. “You alright?” he asked, setting two pieces of tupperware on the desk.

“Not really. I had a bad night and didn’t sleep much.” He picked up a container. “What’s this?”

“That Indian curry stew you made a few weeks ago. I froze what was left. I got fresh naan, too,” Dean said, producing the flat, foil wrapped package. 

Cas lifted the lid and inhaled the rich scent of the stew. “Oh god, this is exactly what I needed.” 

Passing him a spoon, Dean smiled. “Awesome.”

“Yes, you are,” Cas told him, digging into the stew. They ate in silence for a while, and Cas started to feel better with every warm bite. 

“So, everything ok?” Dean asked. 

“Mmm. Not really. Claire needs new shoes, new socks, and I am on such a tight budget - I can get her what she needs but I’m going to have to not do Hershey Park. I’m sorry. I know you were looking forward to it.”

“No biggie,” Dean said. “I hadn’t told Ben and I know what it’s like to be a budget. Kids’ needs come first. Maybe we can go up later, when they open the Christmas thing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, Cas, I’m sure. Budgets suck, but they keep you from awful things like losing your house ‘cause you didn’t pay the rent.”

“There is that.” Cas’s heart felt a little lighter as he finished his lunch. “Also have to get a gift for Trixie’s birthday.”

“Well, you can’t go wrong with Hello Kitty. Trust me on that.”

“I do - trust you, I mean.”

Dean froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “Uh - I uh -” he flushed and stared down at his bowl. “I trust you, too.”

“Awesome,” Cas said with a wink. 

“Yeah. Awesome.” Dean smiled shyly. 

Cas met Dean’s eyes over the desk. A thin beam of sunlight cut through the blinds from outside, lighting up all the greens and golds in Dean’s irises. 

“You have such pretty eyes,” Cas murmured, not even thinking about what was coming out of his mouth. 

“I do?” Dean asked quietly. “I think you -” The bell rang and Dean jumped, splashing what was left of his soup down the front of him. “Oh fuck!” 

“Here,” Cas grabbed a handful of tissues and passed them over, standing with another wad to dab at Dean’s shirt. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! This shit is like neon green and I choose today to wear a fucking white shirt!” Dean kept dabbing at the shirt but the greasy broth was spreading. 

“It’s no good. Do you have a spare shirt?”

“No. Goddammit.”

“Hold on.” Cas opened his closet and pulled out a navy blue button down. “This is my spare. Go change.”

“Thanks. I can’t believe this.” Dean stood and started unbuttoning his shirt. “So stupid.”

“It was just an accident. I’m going to go get my class. Thanks for lunch.”

“No prob, Cas. Thanks for the shirt.”

Cas stopped in the doorway and turned back to tell Dean it was no problem, but the words died in his mouth. 

Dean stood in the middle of his classroom, bare from the waist up. He was lean and fit, just a little bit of a soft spot around his middle. The arms of Cas’s shirt were somewhat tight around his biceps and all Cas could do was stare. 

“What?” Dean asked, looking up and catching Cas’s eye. “Did I miss a spot?” He stared down at his torso.

“I uh - uh - what is that tattoo?” he finally asked, grateful to have something to focus on. The tattoo was a pentagram encircled with flames, done completely in black ink and resting on Dean’s nicely toned left pec. 

“Oh, Sammy found it in some book. It’s a protection symbol.”

“Ah.” The second bell rang. 

“Dude, go get your class!”

“Right, right. I’m going.” Castiel beat a hasty retreat from his room. His cheeks were on fire and he couldn’t stop thinking about how good Dean had looked with Cas’s own shirt wrapped around his body and unbuttoned. “Don’t go there, Novak,” he chided himself. 

His students were lined up and waiting for him when he got to the cafeteria. After a stop in the classroom for jackets, he led the children past Dean’s classroom towards the playground door. 

Twenty minutes later, they headed back inside. Piano music tinkled from Dean’s open doorway. Cas picked out the song immediately, smiling to himself as he stood outside his classroom door while the children hung coats in lockers. 

_ “Ooh you're the best friend that I ever had. I've been with you such a long time. You're my sunshine and I want you to know, that my feelings are true. I really love you.” _

Dean looked up and caught site of Cas and smiled. _ “Oh you're my best friend. Ooh you make me live.” _

_ God, he looks incredible that shirt, _ Cas thought. He returned Dean’s smile and turned to head into his classroom, full of a warm lunch and the joy of having a good friend. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Google Earth Images of Dean, Cas, and Kat's Houses](http://winjennster.tumblr.com/post/146613541364/ok-so-for-love-in-a-time-of-dodgeballs-these-are)


	4. November

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Last updated on 9-27-16. Shameful. 
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy. Maybe I can get back to regular updates. We'll see. <3
> 
> Thanks to the every amazing trekchik for the beta. Love ya wifey.

Early Friday morning, Dean stared at the coffee maker in the faculty room, silently encouraging it to make the life saving brew faster. He clutched his favorite Chevy mug in a tight grip, ready to go as soon as the damn machine quit gurgling.

“Rough night?” Cas asked, sidling up beside him, his chipped Edgar Allan Poe mug in hand.

Grunting an affirmative, Dean continued staring at the coffee maker. “Ben was up barfing all night.”

“That’s awful,” Cas said. “I thought he’d be on the road to recovery by now.”

“Me too. He’s gonna be pissed if he’s not better by Thursday. Boy likes Thanksgiving dinner as much as I do.”

Cas chuckled. “Tell your Mom I’ve got the stuff to make the cranberry dressing and the green bean casserole.”

“Yup. I’m excited, I’ve never had either one of those completely homemade. I didn’t even know you could make them homemade.”

“The beans are work intensive but worth it. Homemade cream of mushroom soup, homemade fried onions -” Dean’s stomach growled loudly and Cas cocked an eyebrow at him. “Skipped breakfast again?”

The coffee maker finally finished and Dean snatched the pot and filled his mug, turning to fill Cas’s without thinking when he was done. “Well, barfing kid all night didn’t exactly leave me with an appetite this morning, and I was late dropping him off, so,” Dean shrugged. “I’ll live.”

“Lucky you, I happen to have a couple extra doughnuts in my room.”

“God, I love you,” Dean said.

“Ooh, pay up, Milton,” Charlie giggled as her and Gabe walked into the room. “We have a love confession!”

“What are you talking about?” Dean grumbled, sitting down at the table and laying his head on it.

“Please. We’ve all seen the way you two morons gaze at each other, spend all your time together, I mean really,” Gabe snorted, “it was just a matter of time.”

Dean raised his head and glared at Gabe.

“So, Gabe and I started a pool. Who would say _I love you_ first in the presence of other faculty members. And Dean Heart-of-Gold Winchester did which means I win. Pay. Up.” Charlie thrust her hand under Gabe’s nose. He rolled his eyes but gave her a twenty.

“Please,” Dean scoffed. “I love all my friends. ‘Cept you, Milton.”

“Liar,” Gabe waggled his eyebrows, “that’s not what you said when I -”

“Ok, enough, enough,” Dean protested, his face flaming. God, Gabe had a mouth on him. He turned to Cas. “Didn’t you say something about donuts?”

“Yes. They’re in my room.”

“Good, let’s go get some.” Standing, Dean followed Cas out of the room, turning to cast one last scathing look at Gabe, who giggled and winked.

“What was that all about?” Cas asked, leading the way back down the hall towards his room.

“What was what all about?” Dean said innocently.

Cas looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. “That whole thing just now between you and Gabe.”

“Oh that? That was uh - that was nothing. Just um, Gabe being Gabe!” Dean scratched at the back of his neck and wondered if it was finally time for him to admit to Cas that he’d slept with a few people. A few lot of people.

Of course, admitting that would mean finally admitting to himself what he’d already known for at least a month.

Dean was starting to seriously develop feelings for Cas. And that was nothing short of dangerous. Yeah, they were great friends. They did everything together, shared food and rides to work, and lived next door to each other. And while that was great, and awesome, it was also potentially troublesome. Because if Dean ever got brave enough to admit to Cas that he hadn’t slept with anyone else since the day they’d met, if he admitted that he couldn’t think of anyone but Cas, if he finally manned up enough to tell Cas he loved him and it all went sideways -

Wait. Love? Dean stared at the back of Cas’s head as they walked down the hall and his heart skipped a beat. _Fuck_ , he thought, _I’m not in love. I don’t do love...do I?_

Cas unlocked the door to his room while blathering on about Thanksgiving and the annual hand shaped turkeys his students were making while Dean continued to panic about his newly discovered feelings for Cas. Not that love was that scary, he decided. _I’m being ridiculous. Falling in love with Cas wouldn’t be so bad_ , he thought. _We’re good together, we like each other. But how do I tell him? I mean, he’s a stand up guy and probably a go-steady type of dude and I’m basically the school slut and he couldn’t possibly want -_

“Dean?”

“Y-yeah?”

“Are you alright? You look a little pale.” Cas raised an eyebrow as he studied Dean. He held out a pink box from Mary’s bakery. “Doughnut?”

“Oh. Right, thanks. Maybe my blood sugar’s a little low.” Dean plucked one of his mother’s beautiful jelly doughnuts from the box, practically inhaling the pastry.

“Slow down, silly,” Cas admonished him.

“Sawwy,” Dean mumbled, mouth full.

Rolling his eyes, Cas moved around the room, turning lights on and pulling out materials. “I’ll set aside a turkey project for Ben if you’d like to take it home for him.”

“Ok,” Dean nodded. He swallowed the rest of the doughnut, watching Cas move around the room. Fuck, but his ass looked amazing in those tailored black slacks. He needed to get out of Cas’s classroom asap. “I’m out. Gotta get some stuff together. See ya!” He made his escape, fully aware that Cas was watching him, probably wanted to say something, but the bell rang and the kids started heading into the school.

“Fuck, I’m losing it,” he muttered to himself, flipping the lights on in his own classroom.

* * *

 

“I think we should go to The Crazy Cajun again,” Cas announced nonchalantly at lunch.

Ignoring the hard stare Charlie was giving him, Dean carefully set his coffee cup down. “Uh, why?”

“Well, I had a lot of fun but I didn’t get to see you dance. And I wouldn’t mind seeing Meg again.”

Dean’s heart fell like it was in the front seat on the first hill of The Comet at Hershey Park. “Oh. Yeah, she’s asked Benny about you. I um - yeah. Friday night? After Thanksgiving? I gotta work at the bakery this weekend.”

“That would be great!” Cas enthused. He looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get my kids. See you later?”

“Yeah,” Dean mumbled, watching as Cas left the faculty room. He could still feel Charlie’s eyes on him. “Don’t say it, Chuckles.”

“Stop calling me Chuckles. And I didn’t say a damn thing.”

“No, but you want to. I can feel you over there, just fucking vibrating your little ass off to keep from opening your big mouth.”

“Rude.” Dean spared a glance at Charlie, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. “So am I wrong then? Do you not have the hots for one Castiel Novak?”

“No, I don’t,” Dean insisted, “And even if I did, he’s straight.”

Charlie threw her head back and laughed so long and hard she missed Gabriel coming into the room.

“Ooh, what’s funny? Gotta be something good, since old Dean-o here looks about to explode!” He rubbed his hands together in gleeful anticipation.

“Dean thinks -” Charlie gasped out, still overwhelmed by her giggle fit. “Dean thinks Cas is straight!”

Now there were two idiots laughing at him. Dean slammed his tupperware back into his lunchbag. “This is why I eat in my classroom,” he muttered irritably, standing up so fast his chair shot out behind him.

“You’re both being ridiculous!” Charlie called as he stormed out of the room.

Ignoring the calls of friends as he navigated through lines of students on the way back to his class, Dean turned Charlie’s words over in his head. She’d said that they were both being ridiculous. Both. Not just Dean. Did that mean Cas had feelings for him too? But he wanted to see Meg again. He’d said that. The words came right out of his mouth.

Frustrated and not paying attention to his surroundings, Dean turned a corner and crashed into a hard body. He dropped his lunch bag and stumbled backwards.

“Sorry, man, I didn’t see you there.” Victor reached down and picked up Dean’s things.

“Nah, it’s my fault. Wasn’t paying attention.”

“No worries.” Victor smiled, and a ray of sunlight created sparkles in his eyes.

 _He’s really hot_ , Dean thought idly.

“I was wondering,” Vic said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Think you might like to get dinner with me sometime?”

“Uh - well - um -” Dean stammered, tried to find some words. A sea of children were moving past, oblivious to his struggle as they made their way to class.

“I’m sorry. It’s just - I’ve been trying to ask since I met you. You’re pretty hot,” he blushed and chuckled self-consciously.

“Yeah?” Dean slid his best grin onto his face. “You’re pretty hot, too.”

“Thanks. Uh, so - can I take you out? Maybe tomorrow night?”

Just down the hall, Dean saw Cas leading his class inside from the playground. He admired Cas’s outfit for a moment, again thinking to himself how well those pants fit. How well the entire ensemble fit. Cas looked so good in his prefered waistcoat and slacks look and Dean wondered if -

“Dean?”

“Oh, sorry Vic.” Cas wanted to see Meg again. “Sure,” Dean rested a hand on Vic’s arm. “Lisa’s got Ben this weekend, so I’m free and uh - up for anything,” he purred, ducking his head slightly and peering up at Vic through his lashes.

“Great. Text me your address and I’ll pick you up around seven?”

“Sounds good to me. See you later.” Dean dragged his fingers down Victor’s arm as he moved past him. He could feel Vic’s eyes on his ass as he walked to his classroom. Dean had worn the good jeans that day.

He felt a little stab of guilt as Cas gave him a friendly wave from the doorway, and he returned it quickly before escaping into his own classroom. Cas wanted to see Meg again. He wasn’t interested in Dean, therefore, Dean going on a date with Victor should be a non issue.

Right?

* * *

 

Vic slammed Dean against the wall in his kitchen, making the dishes rattle in the cabinet. He kissed hard and fierce. Dean felt utterly owned, wrapped in Vic’s strong arms and getting the life kissed out of him.

“Bedroom?” Vic growled, attacking Dean’s neck.

“Upstairs, c’mon.”

They stumbled and pawed at each other’s clothes as they slowly made their way up the stairs. Vic lost his balance at the top, landing on Dean. He didn’t seem to care where they landed, too busy leaving a mark on Dean’s chest. Vic slid his hand under Dean’s shirt, and Dean gasped into his mouth when his fingers found a nipple.

“Mmm, bed, c’mon,” Dean squirmed, trying to get out from under Victor.

“We can do this right here, baby,” Vic purred, nipping on Dean’s earlobe. He thrust against Dean, and Dean gasped again when he felt how big Vic was.

“Jesus,” he wheezed, lost in sensation.

“You can call me Victor.” He claimed Dean’s mouth in a bruising kiss. Dean could barely breathe when Vic released his mouth, his heart pounding against his ribs. Vic slid down his body and popped Dean’s jeans open. “Gonna rock your world, sweetheart.”

“Guhhh,” Dean groaned. “Bed, dude. I’m too old to do this on the floor.”

Victor laughed and pulled back, getting to his feet quickly. He helped Dean up from the floor and leaned in and kissed his nose. “Lead the way, gorgeous.”

Dean smiled and leaned in for a real kiss and of course, that led to being boxed in against the wall while Victor owned his mouth. Nimble fingers worked the buttons on his shirt and crisp black cotton floated to the ground. Victor slid his hands down over Dean’s ass and hauled him up. He wrapped his legs around Vic’s waist automatically, before draping his arms over naked, broad shoulders. Vic carried him down the hall, using Dean’s ass to shove them through the doorway.

“No, no,” Dean gasped. “Office. Keep going.”

Wisely bypassing the door with the Minecraft poster, Vic crashed through Dean’s door, sending it slamming into the wall behind it. He grimaced slightly at the idea of any damage to his carefully painted Caribbean Sea Spray walls but forgot about it as Vic dumped him into the center of his bed. Dean moaned as Vic lightly nipped the skin at his waistband.

“Fuck yeah, knew you’d be into this. No matter what Charlie said,” Vic murmured.

Dean groaned as Vic sucked a mark on his belly, still aroused as fuck. Just - his brain kept hanging up on Victor’s words. “What did -” he sucked in another gasp as Vic palmed him through his jeans. “What did Charlie say?”

“Nothing really. Just that you might not be interested.” Vic paused his ministrations and stopped to look up at Dean. “But you’re plenty interested, right? And you play the field like I do? Like we both know what we’re gettin’ out of this. Just some fun, no strings attached? I ain’t looking for a relationship.”

A shiver tripped down his spine and Dean felt like he’d been doused with ice water. “Uh - I um.”

“Not that I think there’s anything wrong with it, since that’s how I swing too, but you’ve got a bit of reputation, y'know?” Vic propped himself up on one elbow and smiled. “So I figured you’d be a sure bet to blow off a little steam, have a little fun?”

Dean bit his bottom lip. Fuck, how many times had he used that exact same reasoning to get someone into bed? Funny how it didn’t feel so good to be on the other end.

“Shit, I hurt your feelings. I’m sorry, I definitely didn’t mean to be insulting. I was just…” Vic trailed off. “Everyone knows you’ve got it bad for Cas, but it didn’t seem to be goin’ anywhere and -”

“What? I don’t have it bad for Cas, what the fuck?” Dean sat straight up and scooched back against the headboard. “Who says I have it bad for Cas?”

“Not to be a dick, dude, but pretty much everyone can see it. It’s not like you’re hiding it.” Vic sat up too. “Guess I ruined this, huh?”

“I don’t have a thing for Cas.” Even Dean could hear the lie in his statement, but to admit to it, to own up to the fact that Cas had slowly become his whole world… “Besides, he likes someone else. And wants me to set him up,” Dean said with a bitter little chuckle. Victor was silent, and it took a minute to look up at him. “Dude, don’t pity me. That’s the last thing I need.”

Dean yanked himself out of bed, wrenched open a dresser drawer and snatched his comfort shirt - an old _Return of the Jedi_ shirt with a hole in one armpit. Vader was damn near invisible after a million and a half washings, but nothing Dean owned felt more like a hug than that stupid shirt.

Leaving Victor protesting behind him, Dean slipped into the shirt and headed back downstairs. He needed a beer...or three.

“Dean, c’mon man. I’m sorry if I upset you. Really. And we did have fun tonight, right? We could at least be friends.” Victor appeared in the kitchen seconds behind Dean, taking the beer from his hands and sitting it on the counter. “Come on, look at me,” he cajoled, wrapping his fingers around Dean’s hand. “I said I was sorry and I am. C’mon, look at me,” he begged again.

Huffing out a sigh, Dean finally turned and looked at Victor. All he saw in Vic’s soft brown eyes was kindness and understanding.

“Friends?” Vic asked softly.

Nodding, Dean sighed. “Yeah. Friends.”

Victor grinned and grabbed Dean, wrapping him a bear hug that reminded him a lot of Benny for a second. Dean let himself be held for a moment. It felt nice, to have another man hug him. Yeah, Dean loved girls. He loved soft curves and pillowy boobs, he loved sweet smelling hair and red lips.

But guys - especially guys that were a little bigger than him, a little stronger than him - they really buttered Dean’s biscuits. Guys with muscular arms, abs, toned thighs...guys like Cas. He’d seen Cas, tiny running shorts and form fitting Under Armour tees, out for a run in the morning. He’d seen him come back, all hot and sweaty, tee almost see through -

“Earth to Dean?”

“Uh -” He tilted his head back from where he’d been happily snuggled in Victor’s arms with his face pressed against his neck. “Sorry?”

“For what? For enjoying a hug?”

Dean blushed.

“I got an idea. Why don’t I stay? We’ll make cookies and watch some stupid tv and you can get cuddled. ‘Cause I think maybe that’s what you really need, isn’t it?”

His cheeks flamed and he knew his blush must be dripping down his neck. “That obvious?” he asked gruffly.

“Mmhmm.”

“I should say no,” Dean protested.

“But you won’t.” Victor released Dean and crossed the kitchen floor. He turned the oven on to 350 before snagging a beer of his own from the fridge. “So. Cookies?”

Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed the flour.

* * *

 

Cas woke just after six am with a horrible headache. Which meant he was in the kitchen, getting himself some orange juice to chase some excedrin, when Dean’s door opened. He watched as Dean stepped out onto his porch, in bakery whites, and was about to step outside and offer a good morning.

Then he noticed that Dean wasn’t alone.

Victor Henrikson stood on the porch while Dean leaned in to lock the door. They were chatting softly, but one thing was painfully clear to Cas - Victor had spent the night.

His heart sank. Over the last couple of weeks, as he and Dean spent time together, Cas had started to feel like maybe there was a chance for him and Dean. Obviously, he’d been horribly mistaken.

Not wanting to watch, but unable to look away, Cas quietly observed Victor and Dean’s embrace before they parted ways in the alley. He watched the Impala pull away before turning and heading back up to bed.

Dean and Victor. Victor and Dean.

He wondered if they were serious, his mind flashing back to Meg telling him that Dean got around quite a bit. He wondered if Vic was just another notch in Dean’s belt.

He wondered what it would be like to be a notch in Dean’s belt.

No. No, Cas needed more. He wanted a lifetime with Dean. He just had no idea how to express those feelings without destroying the best friendship he’d ever had. A burning sensation filled his eyes and he blinked away tears. Was he really this foolish? Mourning a relationship that didn’t exist in the first place?

Rolling onto his side, Cas curled into the fetal position, tugging his blankets close around him. He just wanted to go back to sleep and forget what he’d seen.

…                                                                                                                                                                                        

Monday dawned way to soon and far too bright. Cas parked his Continental and trudged into the school building, not acknowledging anyone’s friendly calls as he passed. He checked his mailbox in the office perfunctorily before heading to his class. The headache he’d woken with Sunday morning hadn’t faded, and now his appetite was gone as well. The smell of coffee drifting from a faculty room made his stomach toss.

“Are you ok?” Charlie asked, catching up with him on his way down the hall. “No offense, Cas my dude, but you look like death warmed over. In a microwave.”

“I have a headache.”

“Oh. Want something? I think I have advil.”

“Nothing is working.” He fumbled for his keys and unlocked his room. “I’ll be fine,” he added, stepping inside and flipping on the lights, wincing at the brightness.

“Hey, what’s up?” Dean said, bursting into the room with his usual enthusiasm.

“Oh god, turn it down,” Cas moaned, covering his ears with his hands. He didn’t hear what else Dean said, but he was aware of Dean’s strong hands steering him into a chair. His room was suddenly dimly lit, and Dean was kneeling, his pretty green eyes wide and concerned.

“I’m sorry,” Cas whispered. “I have a headache.”

“Cas, you’re burning up. Charlie, get Donna please. And Bobby.”

“No, I’m fine,” Cas protested.

“No, you’re not,” Dean argued. “You’re pale and sweaty, you’re way too hot. I bet you got what Ben’s got. You need to go home.”

“My students -”

“We can get a sub, ok? Cas, you’re sick. It’s ok that you’re sick. Buddy,” Dean chuckled softly, “you’re wearing a sneaker and a dress shoe.”

Cas looked down at his feet in surprise. “That’s strange,” he mumbled.

The room spun a little when he looked up to see Donna, Charlie, Bobby, and Ellen all heading into the room. Within minutes, Donna declared him to have a fever of 101.9, Bobby was on the phone looking for a sub, and Charlie was leading him out of the room to Donna’s office. Dean was on the phone making arrangements for Mary to come pick Cas up, and before Cas could do much of anything, he was home in bed.

“Good timing, sweetheart,” Mary said kindly, placing a cool, damp cloth on his head. “The bakery is closed on Mondays, so I’ll be here to look after you until my lovesick son gets here.”

Must’ve been the fever. Surely Mary had said worried sick? Why would Dean be lovesick, unless she was talking about his new relationship with Victor.

Yes. That had to be what she meant.

“Ok, I’m going to make you some broth. Lay here and rest.” Mary kissed his cheek and disappeared.

Time was so strange. Cas drifted in and out, never really asleep, or awake even, as his fever raged. Sometimes he woke chilled to the bone, shivering horribly in his nest of blankets. Other times, he woke sweaty and boiling, with Mary humming Beatles tunes as she bathed his brow.

“You’re a wonderful mother,” he told her at one point, sure that he must’ve been imagining the tears in her eyes.

At some point, Mary became Dean, but Cas couldn’t have said when. Nothing made sense to him anymore. He drifted in and out of miserable fever. Awareness returned memorably at one point, when his stomach lurched. Dean was there, supporting him as he was violently ill.

“S’ok, Cas. I’m here. S’ok.” Dean rubbed his back through all of it, helping him lay back down when it was all over.

“Claire -” he gasped.

“No worries. She’s with Kat until you get better. Lisa’s gonna keep Ben for the rest of the week and I put in for vacation tomorrow and Wednesday. Everything’s gonna be fine. You just concentrate on getting better.” A straw was lifted to his mouth and Cas took a tentative sip. “Nah, c’mon, drink a little more.” Cas complied. “Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling good? Shit, Cas, you scared the crap out of me this morning.”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Cas rasped.

“It’s ok. I just - I care about you a lot, buddy,” Dean mumbled. He set the glass to the side and disappeared for a bit, returning with another cool washcloth. “Gotta get that fever down. Drink some more, dehydration sucks and ends up with you in the ER.”

He drank a little more of the vaguely lemon-lime flavored concoction until Dean appeared to be satisfied. “Sleep,” he begged. “Please. So tired.”

“Ok, ok. Sorry.” Dean pulled the covers up to Cas’s chest. “Get some rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

Cas drifted off again, only this time, he got to enjoy the feel of Dean’s fingers combing gently through his hair as he went under.

* * *

 

Cas found himself on the floor of his bathroom with no idea how he’d gotten there. His head hurt, and he was laying with his cheek pressed to the toilet seat. “Gross,” he muttered, but utterly lacked the strength to raise his head.

“Oh Cas,” Dean murmured. He wrapped a blanket around Cas’s shoulders. “How’d you get in here without me hearing? I was only in Claire’s room.”

“I don’t know.”

Dean brandished a thermometer and slid it under Cas’s tongue. “Ok. Let’s take your temp and get you back in bed.” Whatever the thermometer said when it beeped, Dean didn’t like it, judging by the depth of his frown. “Cas, if you get much worse, I’m taking you to Bayview. You’re scaring the shit out me with this fever. 102.8 is way too fucking high.”

“I’m sorry,” Cas whispered, eyes filling with tears. “I’m sorry, I’m trying to get better, I am.”

“Oh no, buddy, I’m not mad at you,” Dean looked distressed.

“I just feel so horrible and I can’t keep track of time and I’m so tired, I’m so tired, Dean.” Cas was well aware that tears were streaming down his face but he had no idea how to stop them.

“Ok, ok, c’mon,” Dean helped Cas get to his feet.

“Dean - I don’t think - I don’t think -” The bathroom spun in a dizzying circle and Cas’s knees buckled.

“Whoa!” Dean’s arms were strong and sure as he lifted Cas into them. Helpless and weak, Cas draped his arms around Dean’s neck. He led his head fall onto Dean’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry I’m so much trouble, Dean,” he whimpered into Dean’s neck as he was carried down the hall.

“You’re no trouble. You’re just so sick and miserable and you don’t know what to do with yourself. It’s gonna be ok, Cas, I promise.”

“Like being in your arms,” Cas murmured. “You’re so strong.”

“Ok, ok buddy,” Dean chuckled nervously. “Let’s get you into bed.”

Cas was gently lowered back onto his mattress, covers pulled up to his chin. “Please don’t leave,” he begged. “I don’t have anyone, don’t leave.”

“Not going anywhere, I promise.” Dean put the cool cloth back on his head. “And you’re not alone, Cas. You got me, my moms, Charlie, Sam, Jess, Kat. There’s a lot of people that love you. You’re not alone, Cas, I promise you. I’m gonna be right here. You’ll be ok, you’re just sick. I promise you’ll be ok.” Dean’s fingers were in his hair again. “Just sleep, buddy. Close your eyes and sleep.”

Cas couldn't think of any good reasons to keep his eyes open, and he drifted off again, Dean’s fingers and soft humming accompanying him into the dark.

* * *

 

The next time Cas awoke, he was somewhere that definitely wasn’t his house. He tried to sit up but lacked the strength. It was cool, dim, and smelled weird. The bed wasn’t nearly as comfortable. Lifting a hand to rub his eyes, Cas got tangled in rubber tubing.

Oh. An IV. He had an IV.

“Cas?”

Turning his head, he saw Dean perched in an uncomfortable looking chair. “Dean? Where am I?”

“Hospital.” Dean reached out and took his hand, gently untangling the IV line. “You scared the shit out of me. Your fever shot up and I couldn’t wake you, so I went downstairs to call Donna and ask her to come look at you. While I was downstairs, I hear this crash, come back up to find you passed out in the hallway. I called an ambulance. We’ve been here three hours and you just now woke up.” He rubbed his free hand over his eyes. “Man, when you get sick, you do it right.”

“I’m sorry, Dean.”

“No, no, don’t be sorry. Like I told you before, you didn’t do anything wrong. You just got sick. It’s ok.”

“I am sorry, though. Hopefully, I’ll be better by Thursday.”

Dean stared blankly at Cas. “Uh. Cas, it’s Wednesday. You’ve been in and out of it for a few days. I knew I should have taken you in sooner. I had no idea you’d lost that much time. Fuck.” An expression of guilt flicked on Dean’s face.

“Like you just told me, you didn't do anything wrong. You took care of me. Thank you.”

“Shit, Cas. I couldn’t -” Dean blushed. “I couldn’t leave you to go through all of that alone.”

Cas smiled sadly at Dean. “The last time I was truly sick, Jimmy and Amelia looked after me.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean said softly. “I know you must miss them.”

“I do. We all shared a house…” Cas trailed off, his eyes filling with tears. “The night they died. I got home just as they were - as the firemen were -” He couldn’t get any other words out, overwhelmed with the images of the firemen pulling the black body bags from the house. “I miss them,” he whispered.

The fingers holding his hand squeezed gently. “I’m here for you. I want you to know that, Cas. I’m always gonna be here for you.” Dean found a tissue from somewhere and wiped Cas’s tears from his face. He sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re my best friend. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Ok?”

Overcome, Cas simply nodded.

“Ok. Now that’s out of the way, can you just get better?”

“I will do my best, Dean. For you.”

Dean’s responding smile was brighter than the sun. “You’re awesome, Cas.”

“I believe it is you who are awesome,” Cas informed him. “I’m going to miss Thanksgiving,” Cas said mournfully.

“No you won’t,” Dean snorted. “My moms have that handled, believe me.”

“I feel like a part of your family sometimes.”

“Cas,” Dean’s face was serious. “You _are_ a part of my family. I haven’t been the only one taking care of you this week, I hope you know. Mom, Ellen, Sam - they’ve all been at the house helping. The only reason Jess wasn’t around is the pregnancy. She can’t afford to get sick. Which is also why we’d only let Sam make deliveries and play gopher. But yeah, Cas, don’t ever doubt you’re part of my family. Ok?”

Feeling his eyes well with tears again, Cas nodded. “Ok.”

“Ok, then.” Dean seemed to realize he was sitting on Cas’s bed with Cas’s hand in his. He blushed and climbed down. “I’m going to see if I can get you something to drink, ok? You’re two bags of fluids in, but I’d bet some ice water would taste good right about now.”

Cas licked his dry lips. “Yes, it would. And a shower.”

Dean laughed. “We’ll get there. Back in a bit.” He ducked out of the room.

“Hey, Dean?”

Poking his head back in, Dean smiled. “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Dean’s smile grew wider and he disappeared again.

Settling back into the hospital bed, Cas couldn’t help but smile to himself.

He had a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I can no longer promise straight fluff. Dean still has some serious self esteem issues to work through with his sexual history (there isn't anything wrong with enjoying sleeping around, but he's beating himself up cause that what he do), and there's a little more that's going on with Cas's situation. But it won't be my usual agony angst fest. Promise.


End file.
